Why does the sun appear bigger and seems to possess an oval shape during sunrise and sunset?

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Atmospheric refraction

Dispersion

Diffraction

Total internal reflection

answer is A.

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Detailed Solution

The sun appears bigger and seems to possess an oval shape due to the phenomenon of atmospheric refraction.
The sun is at the horizon when sunrise and sunset occur. The light entering the earth's atmosphere from the sun arrives at different heights and travels in a medium with varied refractive indices, causing it to bend unevenly since the refractive index drops with height. The image of the sun becomes distorted and seems oval and larger due to this uneven bending of light from a vertical diameter. This atmospheric refraction also causes the sun to be seen while still beneath the horizon.

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