Related papers: Eight Minutes and a Half
If one asked some friends where on the horizon they should expect to see the sunrise, half of the answers would be "in the east". Of course, something analogous would happen with the sunset and the west. However, sunrise and sunset…
We express the position of the Sun in the sky as a function of time and the observer's geographic coordinates. Our method is based on applying rotation matrices to vectors describing points on the celestial sphere. We also derive direct…
Atmospheric refraction is responsible for the bending of light-rays in the atmosphere. It is a result of the continuous decrease in the refractive index of the air as a function of altitude. A well-known consequence of this phenomenon is…
The solar corona, anomalously hot outer atmosphere of the Sun, is traditionally described by magnetohydrodynamic, fluid-like approach. Here we review some recent developments when, instead, a full kinetic description is used. It is shown…
The observation that the shadows of objects change during the course of the day and also for a fixed time during a year led curious minds to realize that the Sun could be used as a timekeeper. However, the daily motion of the Sun has some…
A didactic sequence of activities on some topics of Astronomy, related mainly with the length and orientation of shadows cast by a gnomon, the movement of shadows during daytime in different seasons of the year, and finding the true…
The equation of time is fundamental for calculating the rising and setting times of the Sun. The concepts of sidereal and solar day and locak noon, we show how the length of the day depends on solar declination and Earth's orbit position,…
Solar activity is controlled by the magnetic field, which also causes the variability of the solar irradiance that in turn is thought to influence the climate on Earth. The magnetic field manifests itself in the form of structures of…
Second part of a didactic sequence of activities on some topics of Astronomy, related mainly with the real shape of the Earth, the gravitational interactions between our planet and other celestial bodies, and the resulting movement of the…
Earth's analemma is the lopsided figure eight marked out over a year by the position of the Sun in the sky observed at the same clock time each day. It shows how solar time deviates from clock time. The analemma's shape results from the…
Derivation of the following formulae for solar position as seen from orbiting planet based on a simplified model: sunrise direction formula, solar declination formula, sunrise equation, daylight duration formula, solar altitude formula,…
The teaching of abstract physics concepts can be enhanced by incorporating visual and haptic sensory modalities in the classroom, using the correct perspectives. We have developed virtual reality simulations to assist students in learning…
Solar activity is controlled by the magnetic field, which also causes the variability of the solar irradiance that in turn is thought to influence the climate on Earth. The magnetic field manifests itself in the form of structures of…
Bailey et al.~(2016) and Gomes et al.~(2016) recently suggested that the 6 degree misalignment between the Sun's rotational equator and the orbital plane of the major planets may be produced by the forcing from the hypothetical Planet Nine…
A comprehensive introduction to the theory of the solar neutrino problem is given that is aimed at instructors who are not experts in quantum field theory but would like to incorporate these ideas into instruction of advanced undergraduate…
The grand minimum in the Sun's activity is a distinctive mode characterized by a magnetic lull that almost completely lacks the emergence of sunspots on the solar surface for an extended duration. The factors driving this transition of an…
Young children, students, and adults may have alternative ideas about the motion of the Sun and stars as we observe them in the sky. However, a good understanding of this apparent motion is essential as a starting point to study more…
We present a physical mechanism of formation of tilt angles of sunspots due to the process of formation of active regions below the solar photosphere. The contribution of Coriolis force factors on large-scale flows of super-granular…
Solar neutrino physics is an exciting and difficult field of research for physicists, where astrophysics, elementary particle and nuclear physics meet. \ The Sun produces the energy that life has been using on Earth for many years, about…
The Sun's magnetic dynamo cycle features a distinct pattern: a propagating region of sunspot emergence appears around 30 degrees latitude and vanishes near the equator every 11 years. Moreover, longitudinal flows called "torsional…