To someone in Rockhampton, Australia (23.5°S latitude) on Dec. 21 what is the solar zenith angle?

Question

1. To someone in Rockhampton, Australia (23.5°S latitude) on Dec. 21 what is the solar zenith angle?

2. On the date of the Winter Solstice you find yourself on a beach in San Diego, California (32° North Latitude). The time is approximately solar noon. You look toward the southern sky and see the Sun. How many degrees above the southern horizon (solar angle) is the Sun? What is the solar zenith angle?

Answer 1

1)At high noon, the solar zenith angle would be zero, of course.
2)The celestial equator will be 90-32 degrees above the horizon, and the sun will be 23.5 degrees below that so it will be 90-55.5 which equals 34.5 degrees above the horizon at high noon. The zenith angle will be 55.5 degrees. This is simple.

Answer 2

Solar Zenith