Department of Physics

User's Guide to the Night Sky

The Sun's Track across the Sky at the Equinox

The animation shows the daily track of the Sun across the sky at the time of the equinox as seen from Durham. The Sun rises in the east, crosses the meridian at about noon and sets in the west. For Durham (latitude = +55°) at the equinox, the Sun reaches a maximum altitude of 35°, i.e. 90° − 55°. The track of the Sun across the sky is the same as the Dec = 0° line.

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