Name___________________________ Teacher________________ Date___________ 1. Calculate the altitude of the noon sun on the equinoxes and solstices. Fill in the empty cells = 90° = Equinox = 90° = Equinox = Latitude using these formulas: - Latitude + 23.5° -Latitude - 23.5° Vernal Autumnal Winter Summer Name of Location's Equinox Equinox Solstice Solstice Altitude of Polaris Location Latitude March September December June 21/22 20/21 22/23 21/22 Spring Valley, 41° N NY (NOON SUN (NOON SUN (NOON SUN TO (NOON SUN TO TO SOUTH) TO SOUTH) SOUTH) SOUTH) North 90° N Pole (SUN CIRCLES (SUN CIRCLES (SUN CIRCLES (SUN BELOW HORIZON) SKY) HORIZON) HORIZON) Arctic 66.5° N Circle (NOON SUN ON (NOON SUN (NOON SUN (NOON SUN HORIZON, TO SOUTH) TO SOUTH) TO SOUTH) SOUTH) Tropic of 23.5° N Cancer (NOON SUN (NOON SUN (NOON SUN TO (NOON SUN TO TO SOUTH) AT ZENITH) SOUTH) SOUTH) Equator 0° (NOON SUN (NOON SUN (NOON SUN (NOON SUN TO AT ZENITH) TO ***NORTH) AT ZENITH) SOUTH) Tropic of 43° 90° 23.5° S Capricorn (NOON SUN (NOON SUN (NOON SUN TO (NOON SUN (BELOW TO NORTH) TO NORTH) NORTH) AT ZENITH) HORIZON) 0° Antarctic 47° 66.5° S Circle (NOON SUN (NOON SUN ON HORIZON, (NOON SUN TO (NOON SUN TO (BELOW TO NORTH) NORTH) NORTH) NORTH) HORIZON) South -23.5° 23.5° 90° S Pole 0° 0° (SUN CIRCLES (SUN BELOW (SUN CIRCLES (SUN CIRCLES (BELOW HORIZON) HORIZON) HORIZON) SKY) HORIZON) ***ALL ANSWERS SHOULD BE 90° OR LESS… by Charles Burrows Name___________________________ Teacher________________ Date___________ Direction of Sunrise/Sunset on the Equinoxes and Solstices Autumnal Winter Vernal Summer Name of Location's Equinox Solstice Equinox Solstice Location Latitude September December March 20/21 June 21/22 22/23 21/22 Spring Sunrise:EAST Sunrise:NE Sunrise:EAST Sunrise:SE 41° N Valley, NY Sunset:WEST Sunset:NW Sunset:WEST Sunset:SW (Sun circles (Sun circles (Sun circles (Sun below North Pole 90° N horizon) sky) horizon) horizon) Arctic Sunrise:EAST Sunrise:EAST (Sun below 66.5° N NORTH Circle Sunset:WEST Sunset:WEST horizon) Tropic of Sunrise:EAST Sunrise:NE Sunrise:EAST Sunrise:SE 23.5° N Cancer Sunset:WEST Sunset:NW Sunset:WEST Sunset:SW Sunrise:EAST Sunrise:NE Sunrise:EAST Sunrise:SE Equator 0° Sunset:WEST Sunset:NW Sunset:WEST Sunset:SW Tropic of Sunrise:EAST Sunrise:NE Sunrise:EAST Sunrise:SE 23.5° S Capricorn Sunset:WEST Sunset:NW Sunset:WEST Sunset:SW Antarctic Sunrise:EAST (Sun below Sunrise:EAST 66.5° S SOUTH Circle Sunset:WEST horizon) Sunset:WEST (Sun circles (Sun below (Sun circles (Sun circles South Pole 90° S horizon) horizon) horizon) sky) 2. Use the two tables above, and this key to draw the paths of the sun on the equinoxes and solstices at each of the eight locations. (Add compass directions to each diagram first, including NE, NW, SE, and SW. Be careful at the poles…) KEY: SYMBOL MEANING EQ EQUINOX JS JUNE SOLSTICE DS DECEMBER SOLSTICE * POLARIS (NORTH STAR) by Charles Burrows Name___________________________ Teacher________________ Date___________ 1. ON EACH DATE, WHERE IS THE NOON SUN AT THE ZENITH? a) VERNAL EQUINOX _______________________ b) SUMMER SOLSTICE _______________________ c) AUTUMNAL EQUINOX _______________________ d) WINTER SOLSTICE _______________________ 2. ON EACH DATE, WHERE IS THE NOON SUN ON THE HORIZON? a) VERNAL EQUINOX _______________________ b) SUMMER SOLSTICE _______________________ c) AUTUMNAL EQUINOX _______________________ d) WINTER SOLSTICE _______________________ 3. ON EACH DATE, WHERE IS THE NOON SUN BELOW THE HORIZON? a) VERNAL EQUINOX _______________________ b) SUMMER SOLSTICE _______________________ c) AUTUMNAL EQUINOX _______________________ d) WINTER SOLSTICE _______________________ 4. IS THE SUN EVER AT THE ZENITH IN NEW YORK? ____________ 5. WHAT IS THE MAXIMUM ALTITUDE OF THE NOON SUN AT EACH LOCATION? a) SPRING VALLEY, NY __________ b) NORTH POLE __________ c) ARCTIC CIRCLE __________ d) TROPIC OF CANCER __________ e) EQUATOR __________ f) TROPIC OF CAPRICORN __________ g) ANTARCTIC CIRCLE __________ h) SOUTH POLE __________ 6. ON THE SUMMER SOLSTICE, WHERE ON EARTH WOULD YOU HAVE THE LONGEST SHADOW AT NOON? EXPLAIN YOUR ANSWER. ____________________________________________________________ by Charles Burrows .