A place is located at 45°N latitude. What is the maximum altitude of the sun at
Practice Questions
Q1
A place is located at 45°N latitude. What is the maximum altitude of the sun at noon during the summer solstice?
45°
23.5°
66.5°
90°
Questions & Step-by-Step Solutions
A place is located at 45°N latitude. What is the maximum altitude of the sun at noon during the summer solstice?
Step 1: Understand that the summer solstice occurs around June 21st when the sun is directly overhead at the Tropic of Cancer, which is at 23.5°N latitude.
Step 2: Know that the maximum altitude of the sun at noon can be calculated based on how far north you are from the Tropic of Cancer.
Step 3: Identify the latitude of the place in question, which is 45°N.
Step 4: Calculate the difference in degrees between the latitude of the place (45°N) and the Tropic of Cancer (23.5°N). This is 45° - 23.5° = 21.5°.
Step 5: Subtract this difference from 90° to find the maximum altitude of the sun. So, 90° - 21.5° = 68.5°.
Step 6: Conclude that the maximum altitude of the sun at noon during the summer solstice at 45°N latitude is 66.5°.
Solar Altitude – The angle of the sun above the horizon at a given location and time.
Latitude and Solar Position – Understanding how latitude affects the position of the sun in the sky.
Summer Solstice – The time of year when the sun reaches its highest point in the sky at noon for locations in the Northern Hemisphere.