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Credit: Joe Orman
Explanation:
Twice a year, at the Spring and Fall equinox,
the Sun rises due east.
In an emphatic demonstration of this
celestial alignment,
photographer Joe Orman recorded this
inspiring image of the Sun rising
exactly along the east-west oriented Western Canal, in Tempe,
Arizona, USA.
But he waited until March 21st, one day after the equinox, to
photograph the striking view.
Why was the rising Sun due east one day after the equinox?
At Tempe's latitude the Sun rises
at an angle, arcing southward as
it climbs above the horizon.
Because the distant mountains hide the true horizon, the Sun shifts
slightly southward by the time it clears the
mountain tops.
Waiting 24 hours
allowed the Sun
to rise just north
of east and arc back to an exactly eastern alignment for the photo.
Orman also notes that this picture carries a special significance as
we experience the maximum of the
solar activity cycle.
The electricity and telephone cables which line the canal symbolize
power and communications grids which are most vulnerable
to outbursts from
the active Sun.
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NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: equinox - active sun
Publications with words: equinox - active sun
See also: