Sun Path Website

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Sun Path Website Questions

http://astro.unl.edu/naap/motion3/animations/sunmotions.swf

Pre-Assignment things to do.

  • Unclick the “show the ecliptic” option.
  • The sun follows yellow line (Sun path).
  • Unclick “show the underside of celestial sphere”
  • Question 13 counts for 5x the amount of points as the other questions.  Take some time and make it good.

Questions:

  1. Play the animation for a few days.  When the sun goes below the horizon is it turning off like a light switch, shining on the other side of the world, or being pulled away by Apollo’s chariot?
  2. Is the “other side” of the world getting sunshine when the sun goes below the horizon?
  3. How does the person’s shadow change in length and direction from sunrise to midday to sunset?
  4. Set the date to March 21st.  This is the equinox.  Where does the sun rise and set exactly?
  5. Move the latitude up and down.  Does the sun always rise and set at the same locations?
  6. Set the date to September 23rd.  This is the other equinox date.  What are the similarities to the other equinox date?
  7. Figure out how many hours of daylight occur at the equinox at any latitude (it will not matter which latitude you pick).
  8. Change the latitude to 42 degrees North (Where we are located).  Drag the date back and forth and see how the sun path changes in altitude and length.  Explain how it changes.
  9. Is the sun in the Northern part of the Sky or the Southern part of the sky at 42 degrees North?  How about at 42 degrees South?
  10. Change the latitude to the equator.  What do you notice about the angle of sun paths?
  11. Change the latitude to the North Pole and South Pole.  What do you notice about the angle of sun paths?
  12. Put the latitude to the North Pole if you had it on the South Pole.  What is different about the cardinal directions and why?
  13. Make up your own question and answer about sun paths that shows a high amount of knowledge and understanding.  The question should not ask for an answer that can only be obtained by using the website simulator, extremely vague, or extremely basic.