Final answer:
The park lights turn on and off in relation to sunset and sunrise due to an automated system sensitive to the ambient light levels, which conserves energy and aligns with circadian rhythms. These cycles are influenced by the Earth's tilt, causing variation in day length across seasons.
Step-by-step explanation:
The lights in the park near your home turn on approximately 15 minutes after sunset and turn off just before sunrise due to an automated system that is likely calibrated to the photoperiod, or the length of daylight. This system may use light-sensitive sensors to detect the level of ambient light, turning the lights on when it gets dark after sunset and off when it becomes light before sunrise. The changes in day length are caused by the tilt of the Earth in relation to the Sun, which leads to longer days in the summer and shorter days in the winter, affecting when the lights will switch on and off.
The management of the park has probably installed this system to ensure the lights are used only when necessary, which conserves energy and reduces light pollution. This automation reflects an understanding of circadian rhythms, which are the daily cycles of behavior observed in humans and other life forms, such as sleep patterns in humans or feeding patterns in animals, synchronized with the day-night cycle.