Lost at Sea
More For the Experts!
Finding the Declination on Certain Days of the Year
The declination of the sun is published in tables.
These tables are generated using trigonometry:
The declination of the sun is the latitude in the world at which the sun is directly overhead at a particular time. The latitude is the angle between the rays of the sun and the plane of the earth equator.
Since the angle the sun hits the earth's surface is due by the earth's orbit, declination changes through a one year cycle.
The earth does not spin vertically but is on a lean of 23°27'.
If the sailors on the wrecked ship 'Neptune', did not have access to
Declination tables, they could still determine the declination on the soltices and equinoxes.
Find out what a "solstice" and an "equinox" is
Draw diagrams to show the angle that the sun's rays strike the earth's surface on these days and hence find out what the sun's Declination is on these days.