Solar Trajectory Lab

SunCalc Chart for Macon

During the winter, we have shorter days and longer nights. During the summer, we have longer days and shorter nights. There is a simple reason for this. The sun takes a different path across the sky according to the different times of the year. In order to track the path of the sun across the sky, we measured the length of the shadow of a stick in the ground throughout the day and recorded our results. This information tells us where the sun is in the sky at different times of the day. In the picture to the left, the trajectory of the sun on this given day is shown by the orange curved line, and the possible paths that the sun takes over the course of the year is given by the shaded area. Using a stick, a ruler, and a compass, one can find all the data needed to track the path of the sun. Using the data collected by sticking the stick in the ground and measuring the length and direction of its shadow, one can find the tangent by taking the stick's height and dividing it by the length of its shadow. One can then plot this data on a radial graph, creating a nice visual of the sun's path through the sky.

Graph

Height	Length	Tangent	Degree	Direction
27	32	0.844	40	N
27	49	0.551	29	NE
27	134	0.202	11	NE
27	100	0.27	15	NW
27	56	0.482	26	NW
27	35	0.771	38	NW

. [Data Collected by Olivia Williams]