Document Type
Poster
Publication Date
1-7-2014
Journal/Book Title/Conference
223rd American Astronomical Society Meeting, Washington, DC
Faculty Mentor
Shane Larson
Abstract
A topic often taught in introductory astronomy courses is the changing position of the Sun in the sky as a function of time of day, and season. The relevance and importance of this motion is explained in the context of seasons and the impact it has on human activities such as agriculture. The geometry of the ob- served motion in the sky is usually reduced to graphical representations and visualizations that can be difficult to render and grasp. Sometimes students are asked to observe the Suns changing motion and record their data, but this is a long-term project requiring several months to complete. This poster describes an activity for introductory astronomy students that takes a modern approach to this topic, namely determining the Suns location in the sky on a given date through the analysis of satellite photography of the Earth.
Recommended Citation
Jensen, M., & Larson, S. (2014, January 7). Annual Solar Motion and Spy Satellites. Presented at the 223rd American Astronomical Society Meeting, Washington, DC.
Comments
Poster presented at the 223rd American Astronomical Society Meeting, Washington DC. PDF of poster is available for download through link above.