NAME:_______________________Date:____________PD:
_____
SUN'S PATH / SEASONS
1.
2.
When looking at the celestial sphere diagram: It is basically where a person would
stand in the middle of a field and have all directions of the horizon to see North,
South, East, & West. There is imagined to be a dome above. Straight up directly
overhead is called ___________________ = maximum / minimum ( circle one)
angle the Sun can be above the horizon, ever...AND is equal to
degrees above
that horizon.
The higher the angleº, the more overhead the sun is located This makes the intensity of
the in-sol-ation become More-intense -or- Less-intense? (circle one)
Since New York State is around 40ºN or 20ºN (circle one) Latitude and therefore we
3.
always generally need to look toward the northern / southern {circle one)-sky in order to see the
noon sun positions, since the most direct sun is always aimed generally at
the________________and the Tropics.
4.
The Sun generally always appears to rise in the ________ and set in the
BUT it only rises due-East, and sets due-West on the Equinoxes that start
the _____________________ & _____________________seasons.
*****THE ABOVE 4 QUESTIONS ARE PRE-LAB AND NEED TO BE RED-CHECKED
 IN THE NEXT STEPS YOU WILL BE DRAWING
THE SEASONAL PATHS OF THE SUN FROM
"RISE" to “NOON” to "SET" for N.Y.S. by
following the directions in #’s 5 and beyond below.
For this section you are using diagrams like this 
--- PICK 3 DIFFERENT COLORS: One each for
"hot", "medium", & "cold
AZIMUTH (AZ)= The 360º of the circle represented by every direction along the
horizon; it starts at due-north as zero degrees (0º/360º)………every direction is a
different #º. For example, Due-East = 90º Azimuth, while Due-South = 180º AZ)
PROCEDURE A: 5—12……………42º North (in N.Y.S.)
5.
SPRING/AUTUMN PATH of the SUN: Using your medium color Draw a slightly
curved & SOLID line path of the Sun rising from due-east (90º AZimuth along the horizon)
moving towards "Noon" at 44º above the southern horizon. Label this “12 Noon” outside
the diagram and draw a Sun……………Then continue the Sun Path with a curved &
DASHED line towards where it sets due-west.
THIS IS THE PATH of the sun TWICE a year: On the start of the Spring and Autumn Equi-Noxes.
.
6.
WINTER SOLSTICE PATH of the SUN: Using your cold color, Draw a slightly
curved & SOLID line path of the Sun rising from120º AZ (generally East Southeast) and only
maxes out at 25º above the due-south horizon for “Noon”. Label this “12 Noon” outside the
diagram and draw a Sun……………Then continue the Sun Path with a curved & DASHED
line towards where it sets at 240º AZ. (near South West)… be sure to also label sunrise &
sunset
;
QUICK SELF-CHECK: In the N.Hemisphere,
this is December 21st a shorter
day than before...the shortEST in fact! Noon still needs to be in the Southern
Sky, but it must be lower than Noon before....and since the day is shorter in
Winter, the PATH must also be shorter....go back to the diagram and confirm
that this path is shorter overall and reaches a lower maximum noon
position.......................lNITIAL HERE
7.
SUMMER SOLSTICE PATH of the SUN: Using your "hot" color, draw sunRISE
starting at 65º AZimuth (East-.N.E horizon) and rises to a "Noon" at 68º above the
southern horizon....DO this with a SOLID CURVED LINE... be sure to label sunrise,
sunset, & noon……………Then continue the Sun Path with a DASHED CURVED
LINE towards where it "sets" at 295º AZ (near north western horizon).
8.
LABEL THE SEASON OF EACH PATH SOMEWHERE NEAR ITS NOON POSITION OUTSIDE
THE DOME…THEN TITLE THE WHOLE PAGE "NEAR NEW YORK ~42ºN" UP ABOVE THE
ZENITH OF THE DIAGRAM
................................................................................................................
LABEL POLARIS IN THE CORRECT DIRECTION AND ALTITUDE (Hint: Consider the latitude)
9.
10.
LABEL THE 2 FOLLOWING CLOCK TIMES: 10AM on the Winter Sun Path, Then label
where 3PM is on the Summer Sun Path
GET
PROCEDURE “A” RED-CHECKED:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
11.
This diagram i s a
si mpl ified version
of th e one you just
l abeled . B UT I
hav e rev ersed
North and South .
Pl eas e qu ick l y
sket ch IN PE NCIL
the 3 s eason al
paths of the Sun .
HINT: first determine
where East & West
are.
12.
This additional simplified diagram has the same orientation such that North (0º/360º AZ) is
on the left side, which puts West (270º AZ) in the foreground/bottom of the diagram.
EXCEPT THIS TIME, QUICKLY SKETCH the 3 paths of the Sun for a location
at 42º SOUTH
Q12: EXPLAIN WHY THIS MAKES
SENSE: _____________________
____________________________
____________________________
____________________________
____________________________
____________________________
____________________________
GET
11 – 12 RED - CHECKED:
==========================================================
PROCEDURE B: 13—15…………..23.5º North (“Tropic of..”)
 IN THE NEXT STEPS YOU WILL BE DRAWING THE SEASONAL PATHS OF THE
SUN FOR A LATITUDE CLOSER TO THE EQUATOR: 23.5 º North. To simplify this you
will use the chart below for where to draw the paths
13.
Since we are in still in the Northern Hemisphere, we still generally look SOUTHward for
Noon Suns and there is still generally Sun "rising" in the EAST, and "setting" in the
WEST. USING THE SAME 3 COLORS as before.
14.
Based on this new latitude, please LABEL POLARIS in the correct direction and altitude.
................................................................................................
LABEL ALL OF THE OTHER THINGS: The same as you did in Procedure A (sunrises;
sunsets; season names; 10am in Winter; 3pm in Summer; etc…)
15.
PROCEDURE C: 16……………0º Latitude (The EQUator)
16.
You will do a third sun path diagram for a location on the Equator and do ALL THE SAME
THINGS/LABELS/COLORS you did on the prior diagrams. Use the data in the chart
below the same as how you used the chart above:
Sun-“RISE” azimuthº direction
NOON altitude angle º
Sun-“SET” azimuth º direction
EQUINOXES (Spring & Fall)
WINTER Solstice
SUMMER Solstice
90º AZ (due East)
90º Alt. above all
directions
270º AZ (due West)
115º AZ (~E.S.E)
23.5º Alt. above dueSouth
245º AZ (~SW)
65º AZ (N. of E.)
23.5º Alt. above dueNorth
295º AZ (W. of N.W.)
The EQuator is just about always balanced, even, symmetrical, and "equal". No matter
where an observer on Earth is, the Sun WILL rise DUE-East, and set DUE-West on both
equinoxes (Spring & Fall) and the Winter and Summer paths have a kind of equality.
17.
Using ALL the same Data as from Q’s 5—7 for N.Y.S at 42ºNorth on the diagram
below for the 3 different paths for the 4 seasons. You WILL find a problem with
Summer’s path and SunRISE & SunSET…do the best you can. MAKE THE PATHS
CURVED!
17A) Why can’t this diagram properly show Sunrise/Sunset on June 21st? ___________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
PROCEDURE D: 18--21…3D Plastic Hemisphere Model near 42ºN.
18.
You will be using “The Sun and the Seasons” chart with Seasons A, B, & C with
the plastic hemisphere on the “Azimuth Horizon Circle” page.
**You will use the external protractor
along with a wet-erase marker to plot
each point on the outside of the plastic dome.
You use the external protractor to measure altitude
above the horizon directly up from each Azimuth reading
Get this red-checked when you are finished and take at least 4 pictures and
send them to yourself in your Google Drive as well.
**Don’t clean the plastic sphere yet!
19.
Based on #18, determine which Path letter is the start of which season:
Season A = _______________________________________
Season B = _______________________________________
Season C = _______________________________________
19A)
We already know that the Equinox (Spring & Fall) seasons show a
perfectly EAST sunrise azimuth and a perfectly WEST sunset azimuth.
In what direction does the Sun rise and set, with respect to due-east and due-west….
in Summer? ______________________________
In what direction does the Sun rise and set, with respect to due-east and due-west….
in Winter? ____________________________
20.
When the Sun is at position of Azimuth = 220º while the altitude is 65º above the
horizon….DRAW a STAR there on the plastic dome, then answer the following 3 Q’s
20A) What season is this? __________________________
20B) What time of day is that? 8am / 10am / 12pm / 2pm / 4pm (circle one)
20C) In which direction will the shadow go for a person standing on the + in the
middle of the azimuth horizon circle? To the
.
21.
Label where Polaris would be on the Plastic Dome. GET THIS ALL RED
CHECKED
CONCLUSION QUESTIONS
I .........The diagram below shows the Earth in
Revolution over the course of a year in four different
positions
a. Identify each of the four seasons in the
Northern Hemisphere represented by
letters in the diagram above.
A.
___________________________
B.
___________________________
C.
___________________________
D.
___________________________
b. Explain how you identified the seasons in the diagram for I:
____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
II……..LOOKING at your 3 separate dome diagrams (Procedures A-B-&-C). DESCRIBE the
general relationship between LATittude & general altitude of the Sun at Noon:
III............The diagram to the right shows the Earth in Revolution over the course of a year in five
different positions
a.
Identify the season and a
possible date(s)
Season
Possible Date(s)
A
B
C
D
E
b. EXPLAIN how you identified
the seasons in the diagram:
__________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
IV.........The following group of diagrams show Earth in revolution around the Sun from both
a profile view as well as a from-Earth view.
1
2
3
a. Match diagrams 1-3 showing te angle of insolation to the diagram showing the
Earth’s revolution.
b. EXPLAIN scientifically how you determined this:
Lettered Position
Diagram #1-3
A
_______________________________________
B
_______________________________________
C
D
_______________________________________
V…….Looking at the diagram, EXPLAIN how you know this was observed in the Northern
Hemisphere? ____________________________________________________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
VI……..On the Diagram below, LABEL BOTH THE Season for each position as well as what
latitude is experiencing direct from overhead 90º incoming in-sol-ation:
VII…….Considering all orbital shapes are ellipses, DESCRIBE what is wrong with the diagram’s
placement of the Sun: __________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________