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Solar rotation varies with latitude. The Sun is not a solid body, but is composed of a gaseous plasma. Different latitudes rotate at different periods. The source of this differential rotation is an area of current research in solar astronomy. [1] The rate of surface rotation is observed to be the fastest at the equator (latitude φ = 0°) and ...
Solar radius is a unit of distance used to express the size of stars in astronomy relative to the Sun. The solar radius is usually defined as the radius to the layer in the Sun 's photosphere where the optical depth equals 2/3: [1] 695,700 kilometres (432,300 miles) is approximately 10 times the average radius of Jupiter, 109 times the radius ...
The solar azimuth angle is the azimuth (horizontal angle with respect to north) of the Sun's position. [1] [2] [3] This horizontal coordinate defines the Sun 's relative direction along the local horizon, whereas the solar zenith angle (or its complementary angle solar elevation) defines the Sun's apparent altitude .
Subsun. A subsun (also spelled sub-sun) is an optical phenomenon that appears as a glowing spot visible within clouds or mist when observed from above. The subsun appears directly below the actual Sun, and is caused by sunlight reflecting off of numerous tiny ice crystals suspended in the atmosphere. As such, the effect belongs to the family of ...
Solar irradiance is the power per unit area ( surface power density) received from the Sun in the form of electromagnetic radiation in the wavelength range of the measuring instrument. Solar irradiance is measured in watts per square metre (W/m 2) in SI units .
Surya Siddhanta. The Surya Siddhanta ( IAST: Sūrya Siddhānta; lit. 'Sun Treatise') is a Sanskrit treatise in Indian astronomy dated to 4th to 5th century, [1] [2] [failed verification] in fourteen chapters. [3] [4] [5] The Surya Siddhanta describes rules to calculate the motions of various planets and the moon relative to various ...
Earth orbit (yellow) compared to a circle (gray) Earth orbits the Sun at an average distance of 149.60 million km (8.317 light minutes, 92.96 million mi) [1] in a counterclockwise direction as viewed from above the Northern Hemisphere. One complete orbit takes 365.256 days (1 sidereal year ), during which time Earth has traveled 940 million km ...
Taken on 20 October 1968 from Apollo 7. Sunlight is a portion of the electromagnetic radiation given off by the Sun, in particular infrared, visible, and ultraviolet light. On Earth, sunlight is scattered and filtered through Earth's atmosphere as daylight when the Sun is above the horizon.