Motion of the Sun Lab - AGH
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School
Evergreen Valley College *
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Course
010L
Subject
Astronomy
Date
Jan 9, 2024
Type
Pages
3
Uploaded by CoachSandpiperMaster669 on coursehero.com
Gonzalez 1
Abraham Gonzalez Herrera
Professor Masuda
Astronomy 010L
12 December 2023
Motion of the Sun Lab
Purpose:
The purpose of this lab is to gather as much data on the Sun, so we can compare and
predict the position of the Sun over the weeks that follow the last class, the upcoming Spring
semester, the winter solace of 2021, and the summer solstice of 2021.
Procedure:
Construct the simple astrolabe out of the provided materials (the paper cutout, magnets,
yarn, tape, hot glue, and a washer).
Once assembled, collect a compass and stand, and head outside.
Place the assembled astrolabe on the stand in a way that faces the Sun.
Tilt the rig in a way so the light of the Sun passes through the straw and creates a full-
hollow circle.
Place the compass in front of the rig, and make sure it faces North.
Write down the data from the compass and the angle of the Sun (the yarn with the tied-up
washer is the indication of the angle).
Repeat the last four steps every time you go out to measure the position of the Sun.
This should occur only once a week, on the day you began measuring, and must
occur at the same time.
Gonzalez 2
Data:
Analysis of Data:
This graph displays nine weeks of Sun positioning data collected for
The Motion of the
Sun Lab
. The y-axis of the graph tracks the Sun's altitude in degrees, which appear in increments
of 10 degrees. The x-axis of the graph tracks azimuth in degrees, which appear in increments of
2 degrees. The points on the graph are labeled, displaying the recorded date of the data.
One noticeable observation that the data reflects is the decline in altitude and azimuth.
The percentage difference in altitude between the first recorded point (9/7/23, 56°) and the last
(11/2/23, 33°) is -41%. The percent difference in azimuth between the first recorded point
(9/7/23, 186°) and the last (11/2/23, 175°) is -6%. Thus, the position of the Sun decreases every
week due to the tilt of the Earth, causing it to have an even greater angle than the week before.
9/7/2023
9/14/2023
9/21/2023
9/28/2023
10/5/2023
10/12/2023
10/19/2023
10/26/2023
11/2/2023
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
174
176
178
180
182
184
186
188
190
192
ALTITUDE (DEGREES)
AZIMUTH (DEGREES)
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