NOTES (What is an Analemma? see below) It’s over a month since Sun “crossed the line” [diagram]. Click here for Sun’s most current celestial and position data (at site, hit “Virgo” for location on star map). Sun, now well south of the celestial equator; it has only to lose about 8° off its noon altitude to reach its minimum noon altitude; Compare with previous analemma charts for: Sept 21, Sept 22 Sept 23 Sept 28 Oct 17. In the northern hemisphere, daylight is becoming progressively shorter than night, now about 10 h long. To see the plus side of shortening days, think of stargazers; observing begins earlier! the night is longer and darker. Since Sept 22, Sun’s time below the horizon, at 45°N latitude, has gone from 12 h to over 13 h. By 7:00 p.m. Vega’s light is twinkling overhead and Jupiter shines brightly, reaching up near the south. Sun is reaching the Meridian (solar noon) about 16 minutes before Mean Solar Noon (near the maximum variation between Solar Noon and Mean Solar Noon). Analemma on Globe: I’ve superimposed the celestial analemma on the globe, similar to how it was done on many school globes 50 and 60 years ago (one exception, instead of mid Pacific Ocean, I’ve placed it in South America, over the meridian of Horton Bluff). It shows the latitude on Earth where the Horto Bluff Noon Sun is overhead, also a relationship between the analemma and the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn.(Last update Oct 13/09, SAW) Sherm’s Homepage What is an ANALEMMA? Also see Wikipedia’s: Analemma, also Observer’s Handbook 2009, RASC, p 189 The 7-day spacing of each green analemma dot, shows the rate of change during a week Compare this last week with a week near the equinox, and also, with a week near one of the solstice positions. Analemma -slightly larger version Get current information about Our Star (SUN) Today via SOHO also at Spaceweather.Com. Get current information regarding Where the planets are...and a current star chart. Compare Sun’s position today with April 21, March 20 at 08:44 ADT , March 19 at noon and Dec 21st diagram Earliest Sunset: Dec 10th 4:34 p.m.[ Diagram link ] Latest Sunrise: Jan 2nd. 7:57 a.m. AST [ Diagram link ] Day lengths: Summer solstice: 15h 38min, noon altitude: 68.5 ° Winter Solstice 8h 45min, noon altitude: 21.5 ° Equinox* night and day are approximately equal everywhere on Earth: 12h each. noon altitude at Horton Bluff: about 45° above the south horizon *Day length Autumn Equinox [diagram] A few more definitions: *Equinox, **[R.A. or RA = Right Ascension], **[Dec or dec = declination] REFERENCES: An excellent reference for astronomical data: the Observers Handbook 2009, Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, Patrick Kelly editor. The analemma, sky background, times and positions are generated by Starry Night Pro. The The overall layout and design is by Sherm. analemma1_files/Analemma-80922.jpghttp://www.heavens-above.com/sun.asp?lat=45.100&lng=-64.250&loc=Avonport&alt=54&tz=ASTanalemma1_files/analm090921b.jpganalemma1_files/analm090922b.jpganalemma1_files/analm090923.jpganalemma1_files/analm090928.jpganalemma1_files/analm091017.jpghttp://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/sunspots/http://web.mac.com/sherm39/iWeb/Site/analemma1_files/globe090922.jpganalemma1_files/globe091013.jpghttp://www.analemma.com/Pages/Introduction/globe.htmlhome_page_nuv.htmlanalemma.htmlhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Analemmahttp://www.rasc.ca/publications/index.shtmlanalemma1_files/analm090511.jpghttp://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/sindex.htmlhttp://www.spaceweather.complanets_what_where.htmlanalemma1_files/analm090421.jpganalemma1_files/vern_equinx09.jpganalemma1_files/analam-090319b.jpganalemma1_files/Analam-81221.tiffanalemma1_files/earliest-sunsets.jpganalemma1_files/latest%20_sunrise-2.jpghttp://www.astro.uu.nl/~strous/cgi-bin/glossary.cgi?l=en&o=solsticeanalemma1_files/Analemma-80923.jpghttp://www.astro.uu.nl/~strous/cgi-bin/glossary.cgi?l=en&o=equinoxanalemma1_files/Analemma-80922_1.jpghttp://www.astro.uu.nl/~strous/cgi-bin/glossary.cgi?l=en&o=equinoxhttp://www.astro.uu.nl/~strous/AA/en/woordenboek.html#right%20ascensionhttp://www.astro.uu.nl/~strous/AA/en/woordenboek.html#declinationhttp://www.rasc.ca/publications/index.shtmlhttp://www.starrynight.com/support/credits/shapeimage_2_link_0shapeimage_2_link_1shapeimage_2_link_2shapeimage_2_link_3shapeimage_2_link_4shapeimage_2_link_5shapeimage_2_link_6shapeimage_2_link_7shapeimage_2_link_8shapeimage_2_link_10shapeimage_2_link_11shapeimage_2_link_12shapeimage_2_link_13shapeimage_2_link_14shapeimage_2_link_15shapeimage_2_link_16shapeimage_2_link_17shapeimage_2_link_18shapeimage_2_link_19shapeimage_2_link_20shapeimage_2_link_21shapeimage_2_link_22shapeimage_2_link_23shapeimage_2_link_24shapeimage_2_link_25shapeimage_2_link_26shapeimage_2_link_27shapeimage_2_link_28shapeimage_2_link_29shapeimage_2_link_30shapeimage_2_link_31shapeimage_2_link_32shapeimage_2_link_33