The Naked Scientists
Toggle navigation
Login
Register
Podcasts
The Naked Scientists
eLife
Naked Genetics
Naked Astronomy
In short
Naked Neuroscience
Ask! The Naked Scientists
Question of the Week
Archive
Video
SUBSCRIBE to our Podcasts
Articles
Science News
Features
Interviews
Answers to Science Questions
Get Naked
Donate
Do an Experiment
Science Forum
Ask a Question
About
Meet the team
Our Sponsors
Site Map
Contact us
User menu
Login
Register
Search
Home
Help
Search
Tags
Recent Topics
Login
Register
Naked Science Forum
Non Life Sciences
Physics, Astronomy & Cosmology
Is the sun in the same spot each year?
« previous
next »
Print
Pages: [
1
]
Go Down
Is the sun in the same spot each year?
2 Replies
10998 Views
7 Tags
0 Members and 4 Guests are viewing this topic.
Chuckknorris420
(OP)
First timers
3
Activity:
0%
Naked Science Forum Newbie
Is the sun in the same spot each year?
«
on:
15/08/2017 08:39:29 »
From one spot on earth does the sun move across the sky in the same path on the same day each year?
Say is the sun in the same spot in the sky at 12:00 noon on the 15th of August every year?
Thanks for the help
Logged
Colin2B
Global Moderator
Naked Science Forum King!
6476
Activity:
0%
Thanked: 708 times
Re: Is the sun in the same spot each year?
«
Reply #1 on:
15/08/2017 10:12:50 »
Within practical accuracy, and from year to next, the answer is yes. Over time there are small changes due to shift of the earth's tilt etc. Remember the solar year and calendar year are not the same so leap years make a 1/4 degree shift each year.
If you want to know the path with extreme accuracy and have the instruments to check, there are tables you can use to calculate the
apparent
position ie allowing for aberration.
«
Last Edit: 15/08/2017 11:18:47 by
Colin2B
»
Logged
and the misguided shall lead the gullible,
the feebleminded have inherited the earth.
The following users thanked this post:
Chuckknorris420
evan_au
Global Moderator
Naked Science Forum GOD!
11035
Activity:
9%
Thanked: 1486 times
Re: Is the sun in the same spot each year?
«
Reply #2 on:
15/08/2017 11:32:43 »
Sundials use the fact that the Sun follows the same path every year.
There is a small figure "8" inscribed on the sundial, which tells you how many minutes to advance or retard the sundial indication, for a given date in the year.
This figure 8 comes about because the Earth's orbit around the Sun is elliptical, so at certain times of the year, the Sun will be at its highest a few minutes before or after 12:00.
See:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Analemma#Solar_analemma_as_seen_from_Earth
The
Milankovitch cycles
represent slow changes in Earth's axis and orbit, so the analemma would need to be updated every century or so.
Logged
The following users thanked this post:
Chuckknorris420
Print
Pages: [
1
]
Go Up
« previous
next »
Tags:
sun
/
earth
/
orbit
/
rotation
/
axis
/
solar
/
equinox
There was an error while thanking
Thanking...