Solar Analemma

Introduction

If you photograph the sun at exactly the same time every day for a year, it traces out a beautiful figure-8 pattern in the sky called an analemma. This happens because Earth's orbit isn't perfectly circular and its axis is tilted. You can explore the mathematics behind this celestial pattern using a combination of trigonometric functions and elliptical geometry, connecting astronomy with pure mathematics.

Guiding Questions

• What mathematical models apply to this situation?
• What data do you need to collect and how will you analyze it?
• What assumptions are you making in your mathematical model?
• How can you validate your mathematical conclusions?
• What are the limitations of your approach?

Key Mathematical Concepts

Helpful Resources

• https://solar-center.stanford.edu/art/analemma.html
• https://unicamp.br/en/~samrocha/post/analema-o-sol-desenha-um-8-no-ceu/