Please Answer the Following Astronomy Questions?

Question

Please Determine the ALTITUDE and DIRECTION (What direction would you have to face in order to see the sun) of the midday sun (when it is crossing the meridian) at these locations on these dates:

1. October Revolution Island, Russia (79 degrees N, 98 degrees E)

December 21:

2. Macapa, Brazil (Lat. = 0 degrees, 51.5 degrees W)

June 21:

December 21:


3. Dunedin, New Zealand (Lat. = 46 degrees S, Long. = 170 degrees E)

June 21:

December 21:

Please tell me which answer is for which question, Thanks for your help.

Answer 1

By definition the meridian is the great circle going through the zenith and the points due south and due north, so all directions will be either due north or due south.

The altitude of the north celestial pole is equal to your latitude. the equator celestial equator is 90 degrees south of that. Since the sky is 180 degrees from horizon to horizon, the celestial equator crosses the meridian at 90-latitude degrees above the southern horizon. This is clear if you draw a diagram. Now all you need to know is how far north or south of the equator the Sun is. On the day of the spring or fall equinox, the Sun in on the equator. On the winter solstace it is 23.5 degrees south and on the summer solstace it is 23.5 degrees north.

Your longitude does not matter at all and can be ignored in all these questions, since they specify the sun is at the local meridian in all cases. If they gave you a clock time then it would matter, but they don't, they just say "midday" and "crossing the meridian".


1) Winter solstace is December 21, so altitude is -12.5 degrees, direction due south, but of course below the horizon so you can't see it.

2) 66.5 degrees altitude, due north on June 21 and due south on December 21.

3) 20.5 altitude due north on June 21 and 67.5 altitude due North on December 21. South of the equator, it is the altitude of the south celestial pole that is equal to the latitude and the equator crosses the meridian at 90-latitude above the northern horizon.

Answer 2

Even if you GET an answer to your homework questions, if you don't make the effort to study and attempt to do the question yourself... to follow along... how are you going to know it's a correct answer?

Answer 3

There is no royal road to learning. You should do your own homework.