Computer Activity #3 SUNRISE AND SUNSET: THE SEASONS

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1 NAME(S)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ASTRONOMY 25 Computer Activity #3 SUNRISE AND SUNSET: THE SEASONS SECTION DAY/TIME S. V. LLOYD Overview The seasonal variation in temperature is due to two changes in the Sun's path over the course of the year: 1) the Sun's height (altitude) in the sky at noon 2) the number of hours the Sun is above the horizon Software This activity uses Stellarium version Configuration For this activity, it makes the times clearer if you turn off daylight saving time. To do this, go to the Configuration window [F2] and click on the Plugins tab. Click on Time Zone. Look at the bottom. If Load at startup is not checked, check it and restart Stellarium. Otherwise, click on the configure button. In the Time Zone tab, Select Offset from UTC. Click the down arrow 32 times until the offset is -8:00 hours (this is Pacific Standard Time). Click on the Save settings button. On the Display formats tab, select 24-hour format. Quit Stellarium and re-start. Turn on the meridian if it isn't on already (press the semicolon [;] key). The meridian is the green line that goes from the north point on the horizon thru the zenith to the south point on the horizon, dividing the sky into its eastern and western halves. The Sun is highest in the sky when it is on the meridian. This defines true solar noon. The Sun Stop the clock [7]. Set the time to 12:00:00. Select the Sun by clicking on it. Press the space bar to lock the Sun in position. In the upper left you will see lots of information about the Sun: Magnitude and Absolute magnitude is the apparent brightness and absolute (true) brightness of the star (here, the Sun) expressed in the peculiar system astronomers use for measuring the brightness of a star. In this system, a negative number is an extremely bright star. Sirius has a magnitude of RA/DE are right ascension and declination. These are the co-ordinates of the Sun on the celestial sphere. Right ascension is like longitude (how far east the Sun is of a reference point); declination is like latitude (how far north or south of the equator the Sun in). (The RA and DE change slowly with time. Here they are shown twice, once for the year 2000 and again for the current year.) Hour angle is how it has been since the star crossed the meridian. For the Sun, this is the same as the apparent solar time. Az/Alt are azimuth and altitude. Azimuth is the direction of the Sun around the horizon. 0 = north 90 = east 180 = south 270 = west Altitude is how many degrees above the horizon the Sun is. 0 = on the horizon 90 = at the zenith

2 ASTRO 25 COMPUTER ACTIVITY 3: SUNRISE AND SUNSET P. 2 Distance is how far away the Sun is. You probably figured that out! The AU (Astronomical Unit) is the average distance between the Earth and the Sun. 1 AU is 150,000,000 km or 93,000,000 miles. Apparent diameter is the angular size of the Sun in degrees, minutes, and seconds. It is always close to 30 minutes or half a degree. Distance & size Set the time to 12:00:00 on Jan. 1. Click on the Sun. Hit the space bar to lock it. What constellation is the Sun in? Note, in the info area in the upper left, the Sun's distance and apparent diameter. Round the distance off to the thousandths place. Round the apparent diameter off to the nearest second. Repeat for February thru December. Circle the largest distance and the smallest. DATE CONSTELLATION DISTANCE (AU) (nearest thousandth) Jan. 1 Feb. 1 Mar. 1 Apr. 1 May 1 June 1 July 1 Aug. 1 Sept. 1 Oct. 1 Nov. 1 Dec. 1 APPARENT DIAMETER (nearest ") Sunrise & Sunset Set the date to March 20. Set the time to 6:00:00. That s 6 a.m. PST. Set the location to Torrance (longitude 118 W, latitude 34 N). Grab the sky and move it around until you see the Sun rising in the east. Sunrise is when the Sun is just on the horizon (altitude = 0 0'). Record the time of sunrise and the azimuth of the Sun. Round of the time to the nearest minute. Round off the azimuth to the nearest degree. (If the number of minutes is more than 30, round up to the next degree.)

3 ASTRO 25 COMPUTER ACTIVITY 3: SUNRISE AND SUNSET P. 3 True Noon is when the Sun crosses the meridian (Hour angle = 0 hr 0 min). Advance time until that happens. Record the azimuth and altitude of the Sun and the time. Round off the azimuth and altitude to the nearest degree. Round off the time to the nearest minute. Sunset is when the Sun is just on the horizon (altitude = 0 0'). Record the time of sunset and the azimuth of the Sun. Round of the time to the nearest minute. Round off the azimuth to the nearest degree. Record your results in the table. Repeat for June 21, Sept. 22, & Dec. 21. DATE RISE TIME RISE TIME OF TRUE NOON NOON NOON ALTITUDE SET TIME SET Mar 20 June 21 Sept 22 Dec 21 Calculations Calculate the length of time the Sun is above the horizon. The time above horizon is the sunset time minus the sunrise time. Report the result in hours and minutes. When subtracting the times, remember that there are 60 minutes in an hour, not 10. If you have to borrow an hour when subtracting, remember that you are borrowing 60, not 10. Example: sunrise time 7:45, sunset time 17:25. Since 45 is greater than 25, you need to borrow an hour; change 17 to 16 and add 60 minutes to 25 to make 85, then subtract: : :4 5 9:4 0 DATE Mar 20 Jun 21 Sept 22 Dec 21 Set time Rise time Hr/min above horizon Reset After you are done, go to the Configuration window and click on the Plugins tab. Click on Time Zone. Click on the configure button. In the Time Zone tab, Select Use system settings (default). Click on the Save settings button.

4 ASTRO 25 COMPUTER ACTIVITY 3: SUNRISE AND SUNSET P. 4 Graph Plot the azimuth of sunrise and sunset for each date in the circle.

5 ASTRO 25 COMPUTER ACTIVITY 3: SUNRISE AND SUNSET P. 5 Analysis Answer the following questions. 1. a) In what month is the Sun closest to the Earth? b) In what month is the Sun farthest from the Earth? c) Comment on this claim: it is hot in summer because the Sun is closer then. 2. a) On what days of the year does the Sun rise due east and set due west? ("Due east" means exactly east--azimuth 90. "Due west" means exactly west--azimuth 270.) b) When does the Sun rise farthest north and set farthest north? c) When does the Sun rise farthest south and set farthest south? d) How many degrees does the sunset point move between June & December? 3. a) On what day of the year was the Sun at the highest altitude at noon? b) On what day was it at the lowest altitude at noon? 4. What direction was the Sun in at noon? 5. Write a paragraph based on your data about how the hours above the horizon (the hours of daylight) and the altitude of the noon sun vary over the course of the year. Be quantitative (use numbers). [7 March 2014]

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