December
Armillary Sphere
22
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The first day of winter in the northern hemisphere is the Winter solstice. The winter solstice marks the time of greatest darkness. The sun will remain above the horizon for the least amount of time than it will at any other time of the year at that latitude. The sun will reach its lowest point in the sky on this day, and in some far northern and arctic regions, the sun will not have risen above the horizon for several weeks. Not to worry, the sun begins to climb back up from this point. Many cultures have celebrate light-centered rituals during this time, one of the best examples being Hannukah, the Jewish festival of lights. Where along the horizon will the sun rise in Chicago on the first day of Winter? North? Northeast? East? Southeast? South? Southwest? West? Northwest? Where will it set? (Same choices as above!) Make your guess and watch the demonstration to find out. |
Watch the demonstation
The sun rises approximately 30 degrees south of east and sets (hard to see here!) approximately 30 degrees south of west.
Look carefully at the model and you can see that December 22 is when the ecliptic (the imaginary path followed by the sun, moon, planets, and zodiac constellations) and the Tropic of Capricorn cross paths. The Tropic of Capricorn is the imaginary circle around the earth, approximately 23.5 degrees south of the celestial equator, which marks the furthest sorth that the sun can ever be seen directly overhead (90 degrees from the horizon). It is named "Tropic of Capricorn" because it crosses the ecliptic in the zodiac constellation of Capricorn.
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How to read an armillary sphere
Watch the sun's path (the ecliptic) move through the year
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Museum.
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