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Chapter 2: Problem 20

How does the daily path of the Sun across the sky change with the seasons? Why does it change?

Short Answer

Expert verified
The path of the sun changes across the sky with the seasons due to the tilt of the Earth's axis. In summer, when either of Earth's poles is tilted towards the sun, we have longer daylight hours as the Sun appears higher and is in the sky for a longer path, while in winter, when the earth is tilted away from the sun, the Sun seems lower and its path is shorter causing shorter daylight hours.

Step by step solution

01

Understanding the Sun's daily path

We know that the Sun appears to move across the sky during the day. If we were to observe this motion from dawn to dusk, the path the Sun takes across the sky is known as its daily path. This apparent path changes with the seasons, due to the tilt in the Earth’s axis.
02

Discussing changes during summer and winter

In the summer, the North or South Pole of Earth is tilted towards the Sun, depending on whether it's the northern or southern hemisphere. Thus, the sun appears to be higher in the sky and its path is longer, leading to longer days and shorter nights. In contrast, during winter, the pole is tilted away from the Sun, making the Sun appear lower in the sky. The daily path is shorter, leading to shorter days and longer nights.
03

Explaining the reasons for change in Sun's path

The reason for the change in the Sun's path is due to the tilt of the Earth's axis. The Earth’s axis is tilted at an angle of 23.5 degrees with respect to its orbit around the Sun. As Earth orbits the Sun, this tilt means the angle at which sunlight hits different parts of Earth changes over the course of a year, thereby altering the apparent position of the Sun in the sky and leading to changes in the duration of daylight.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

(a) What is the sidereal time when the vernal equinox rises? (b) On what date is the sidereal time nearly equal to the solar time? Explain.

In the northern hemisphere, houses are designed to have "southern exposure," that is, with the largest windows on the southern side of the house. But in the southern hemisphere houses are designed to have "northern exposure." Why are houses designed this way, and why is there a difference between the hemispheres?

Why is it convenient to divide the Earth into time zones?

Use the Starry Night Enthusiast \({ }^{\mathrm{TM}}\) program to observe the Sun's motion on the celestial sphere. Select Guides > Atlas in the Favourites menu to see the entire celestial sphere as if you were at the center of a transparent Earth. Open the Find pane and doubleclick on the entry for the Sun to center it in the view. a) In the toolbar at the top of the main window, set the Time Flow Rate to 1 day and set time to move forward, using the Play button (a triangle that points to the right). Observe the Sun for a full year of simulated time. How does the Sun appear to move against the background stars? What path does it follow? Does it ever change direction? b) Open the Options pane, expand the Constellations layer and select the Auto Identify, Boundaries and Labels checkboxes to turn these constellation options on. In the toolbar, click on the Now button to return to your present time. Again, open the Find pane and doubleclick on the Sun to center it in your view. In which constellation is the Sun located today? Is this the same as the astrological sign for today's date? Explain your answer in terms of precession. (c) Set the discrete Time Flow Rate to 1 day and click the Play button. Through which constellations does the Sun appear to pass over the course of a year?

Is there any place on Earth where you could see the north celestial pole on the northern horizon? If so, where? Is there any place on Earth where you could see the north celestial pole on the western horizon? If so, where? Explain your answers.
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