Here's why:
* Earth's Rotation: The Earth rotates on its axis from west to east. This means that as the Earth spins, the sun appears to move across the sky from east to west.
* Earth's Orbit: The Earth orbits the Sun in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed from above the North Pole. This orbital motion doesn't change the direction of the Earth's rotation, so the sun continues to rise in the east and set in the west.
Exceptions:
While the sun always rises in the east and sets in the west on average, there are a few exceptions:
* At the poles: At the Earth's poles, the sun doesn't rise and set in the traditional sense. During the summer solstice, the sun circles around the horizon for 24 hours without setting, and during the winter solstice, it stays below the horizon for 24 hours.
* Sunrise/Sunset at the Equator: At the equator, the sun rises directly in the east and sets directly in the west twice a year, during the equinoxes.
In summary: The apparent motion of the sun across the sky is determined by the Earth's rotation and orbit, not by the influence of planets.
