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Analemma

An analemma is a diagram showing the position of the Sun in the sky as seen from a fixed location on Earth at the same mean solar time over the course of a year. The resulting figure-eight pattern arises due to Earth's axial tilt and orbital eccentricity.

Source: solar-center.stanford.edu

APODs including "Analemma"

Analemma over Ukraine

17/06/2007

Analemma over Ukraine
Image Credit: Vasilij Rumyantsev ( Crimean Astrophysical Obsevatory) / NASA APOD

If you took a picture of the Sun at the same time each day, would it remain in the same position? The answer is no, and the shape traced out by the Sun over the course of a year is called an analemma. The Sun's apparent shift is caused by the Earth's motion around the Sun when combined with the tilt of the Earth's rotation axis. The Sun will appear at its highest point of the analemma during summer and at its lowest during winter. Analemmas created from different Earth latitudes would appear at least slightly different, as well as analemmas created at a different time each day. The analemma pictured to the left was built up by Sun photographs taken from 1998 August through 1999 August from Ukraine. The foreground picture from the same location was taken during the early evening in 1999 July.