Question

Imagine that you were sitting at the beach and you are watching a beautiful sunset over the ocean. Just before the Sun disappears from sight, is the top of the Sun actually above or below the horizon? In other words, if the Earth's atmosphere were removed, would the Sun still be visible or would it actually be below the horizon? Explain what's happening here with good physics. Note that the effects of the answer to this question are indeed accounted for when accurate sunset (and sunrise) times are provided. Also, spacecraft orbiting other planets will typically observe sunrise and sunset as they orbit the planet. The same effects can tell us useful information about the atmosphere of the host planet.
Please provide diagrams/drawings and explain the answer in good detail

Answer 1

Actual position of the sun with respect to the horizon when sunset is being observed