THE SUN PATH

THE VISIBLE PART OF THE SKY FROM ANY

LOCATION
IS CALLED

THE SKY DOME

THE POSITION OF THE SUN

CHANGES IN THE SKY DOME FOR
DIFFERENT TIMES OF THE DAY
DIFFERENT TIMES OF THE YEAR AND
FOR DIFFERENT LATTITUDES

THE POSITION OF THE SUN IN ALL THESE

PARAMETERS HAS BEEN MAPPED IN THE

SUN PATH DIAGRAM
1

THE SUN MOVEMENT AT DIFFERENT TIMES

- THRU ONE DAY

THE SUN MOVEMENT AT A GIVEN TIME

- THRU ONE YEAR

BECAUSE OF THE TILT OF THE EARTHS AXIS

THE SUN POSITION
IN THE SKY DOME KEEPS CHANGING THRU THE
YEAR
WHEN THE SUN SHINES OVER THE TROPIC OF CANCER
WE HAVE SUMMER IN THE NORTHERN HEMISPHERE
AND WHEN THE SUN SHINES OVER THE TROPIC OF CAPRICORN
WE HAVE WINTER IN THE NORTHERN HEMISPHERE
LET US EXPLORE A FEW EXAMPLES FOR SUN POSITIONS IN

IMPORTANT DATES

GIVENT THIS CYCLICAL NATURE, THERE ARE FOUR IMPORTANT

DATES TO REMEMBER WHEN CONSIDERING SOLAR POSITION:

30*N
Summer Solstice

22 Dec. SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE

22 Jun. NORTHERN HEMISPHERE

SUN IS AT ITS HIGHEST NOON ALTITUDE

Autumn Equinox

HEMISPHERE

21 Mar. SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE

21 Sep. NOTHEREN

SUN RISES DUE EAST, SETS DUE WEST

Winter Solstice

21 Jun. SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE

21 Dec. NOTHERN HEMISPHERE

30*S

SUN IS AT ITS LOWEST NOON ALTITUDE

Spring Equinox

21 Sep. SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE

21 Mar. NOTHERN HEMISPHERE

THE SUN RISES FROM DUE EAST & SETS DUE WEST.
ALTITUDE ANGLE OF THE SUN DEPENDS ON THE LATITUDE

EQUATOR 0*
5

SUN POSITION AT
SOLSTICES 1. THE CURVED
AT O* EQUATOR

DOTTED LINE IS
THE SKY DOME
2. THE BLACK SOLID
STRAIGHT LINE
DEPICTS THE
MOVEMENT OF
THE SUN ON 21ST
MARCH WHEN IT IS
SHINING OVER
THE EQUATOR
3. THE STRAIGHT
DOTTED LINES
SHOW THE
MOVEMENT OF
THE SUN AT ALL
OTHER TIMES
WHICH WILL BE

SUN POSITION AT
SOLSTICES
AT O* EQUATOR

1. THE SUN IS
DIRECTLY
OVERHEAD ON
21ST MARCH
2. SHINING OVER
T.O.CANCER IT IS
LOWER IN THE
NORTHERN
HEMISPHERE
3. AND WHEN OVER
THE
T.O.CAPRICORN IT
IS IN THE
SOUTHERN
HEMISPHERE

AT 10* NORTH
AT 10*
NORTH, THE
SUN WILL
GENERALLY
APPEAR TO
LIE
TOWARDS
THE
SOUTHERN
SKY
IT WILL
PASS
OVERHEAD
TWICE A
YEAR ON ITS
WAY TO AND
FROM THE 8
EQUATOR

AT 20* NORTH
AS WE
APPROACH
THE TROPIC
OF CANCER,
THE SUN
WILL APPEAR
ALMOST
OVERHEAD
AROUND 21
JUN WHEN IT
SHINES OVER
TROPIC OF
CANCER

AT 30* NORTH
AT 30* N
LATITUDE
THE SUN
WILL ALWAYS
BE IN THE
SOUTHERN
SKY AT
NOON.
THE DOTTED
STRAIGHT
LINE SHOWS
THE SUNS
PATH DURING
THAT DAY
10

AT 56* NORTH

NOTICE THAT
THE SUN PATH
PASSES THRU
THE CENTRE
WHEN IT IS
SHINING AT
THE EQUATOR
&
ON 21ST JUNE
AND 22 DEC
ITS PATH IS
PARALLEL TO
THAT ON 21ST
MARCH
THE SUMER
DAYS ARE
GETTING
LONGER AND
THE WINTER 11
DAYS ARE

SUN POSITION AT
EQUINOXES
AT O* EQUATOR
AGAIN STARTING
AT THE EQUATOR
LET US
UNDERSTAND THE
SUNS PATH THRU
THE YEAR AS
SEEN IN THE
SOUTHERN
HEMISPHERE

12

AT 10* SOUTH
MOST TIMES
OF THE
YEAR THE
SUN WILL
APPEAR IN
THE
NORTHERN
SKY
IT WILL BE
IN THE
SOUTHERN
SKY DURING
ITS JOURNEY
TO THE
TROPIC OF
CAPRICORN13

AT 20* SOUTH

14

AT 30* SOUTH

15

AT 50* SOUTH
THE SUN
WILL ONLY
APPEAR IN
THE
NORTHERN
SKY EXCEPT
EARLY
MORNING
AND LATE
EVENINGS IN
THE SUMMER
MONTHS AS
SEEN BY THE
DOTTED
LINEFROM
22DEC
16

AT 60* SOUTH

THE
ANTARCTIC
CIRCLE LIES
AT 66*S
IF YOU DRAW
THE FULL
EARTH CIRCLE
AS SEEN BY
THE CURVED
DOTTED LINE,
YOU WILL
NOTICE THAT
ON 22 DEC
THERE IS
HARDLY ANY
NIGHT
WHILE ON
THE 21ST OF
JUNE THE SUN
17
IS VERY LOW

AT 80* SOUTH

NOTICE
HOW THE
SUN
NEVER
SETS ON
THE 22ND
OF
DECEMBE
R BUT
ROTATES
AROUND
THE SKY!
AND IN
MAY,JUNE,
JULY ,
AUGUST
THE SUN
IS NOT
VISIBLE
18
AT ALL.

AT 90* SOUTH
AT THE
SOUTH
POLE THE
SUN IS
ROTATING
AT THE
HORIZON
ON 21ST
MARCH
&
ROTATING
VERY LOW
IN THE SKY
ON 22ND
DECEMBER.
IT IS NOT
VISIBLE AT
ALL FROM
APRIL TO19

UDERSTANDING THE SKY

DOME
THE SUN AS IT MOVES
ACROSS THE SKY DURING
THE DAY AND ACROSS
THE SEASONS OF THE
YEAR ARE INDICATED
HERE ON THE SKY DOME
IF THESE PATHS ARE
VIEWED IN PLAN WE GET
OUR SUN PATH DIAGRAM
FOR A GIVEN LATITUDE.

20

THE SUN ALWAYS MOVES AROUND

THE CENTER OF THE SKY DOME

TWO IMPORTANT VALUES ARE READ OFF THE SUN PATH

DIAGRAM
FOR A GIVEN LAITITUDE:
1. THE AZIMUTH ANGLE
horizon

i.e. the horizontal angle on the

measured clockwise from

NORTH
2. THE ALTITUDE ANGLE
makes to the ground

i.e. the vertical angle the sun

21