Solar angle
Solar Angle
• Solar Zenith Angle (SZA): angel between
the sun and the point directly above your
heat at solar noon
– Zenith - 90° from the horizon
– Solar noon – sun at the highest point in the
day
• Solar Angle (SA): angle between the sun
and YOUR horizon (you are the vertex of
the angle)
• Declination – the latitude where the noon
sun is at zenith (directly overhead, 90°).
– The declination varies from 23.5°N and
23.5°S every year – total of 47 °
• Latitude – the latitude of the observer (who
is checking out the solar angle)
– For our calculations, the school is at 41°N
latitude
• Solar Zenith Angle is found…
• SZA = Latitude – Declination
(if this angle is negative, the sun is in the northern sky;
positive-sun is in the southern sky)
• Solar Angle is found…
• SA =90 ° - |SZA|
http://www.uwsp.edu/geo/faculty/ritter/geog101/textbook/manuals/instructor_
manual/how_to/calculating_nsa.html