Positional Astronomy - answer to exercise

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http://star-www.st-and.ac.uk/~fv/webnotes/answer12.htm

Exercise:
The Sun is at declination -14.
What will be its hour angle at sunrise
(the moment the top edge of the Sun first appears over the horizon),
at a latitude of +5620'?
At sunrise, the true altitude of the Sun is a = -050'
(allowing for semi-diameter and horizontal refraction).
Use the formula
cos(H) = { sin(a) - sin() sin() } / cos() cos()
where = +5620' and = -14.
This gives cos(H) = 0.35,
so H = 69.7 or 290.3
= 4h39m or 19h21m.
To decide which,
note that the Sun is to the east of the meridian at sunrise,
so H = 19h21m.

If the Sun is on the local meridian at 12:03,

what time is sunrise?
and what time is sunset?
The semi-diurnal arc is 4h39m.
Sunrise is at (12:03 - 4h39m) = 07:24.
Sunset is at (12:03 + 4h39m) = 16:42.

And when will astronomical twilight start and finish?

It is astronomical twilight
if the Suns altitude is -18 or higher.
Set a = -18 and use the same formula again, to obtain
H = 101.55 = 6h46m.
So twilight starts at (12:03 - 6h46m) = 05:17,
and ends at (12:03 + 6h46m) = 18:49.

Back to "sunrise, sunset and twilight".

3.12.2016 17:12

Positional Astronomy - answer to exercise

2 of 2

http://star-www.st-and.ac.uk/~fv/webnotes/answer12.htm

3.12.2016 17:12