Observing the Solar Dome at 44 Degrees North Latitude

January 24, 2018

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Photographer: Pierluigi Giacobazzi
Summary Authors: Pierluigi Giacobazzi; Jim Foster

Daily motions of celestial objects reflect the Earth's diurnal rotation about its axis. Celestial objects appear to rise in the east and set in the west. These apparent paths are parallel to the celestial equator; their inclinations relative to the horizon depend on the observer's latitude. The montage pictured above shows the Sun's apparent daily motion at the beginning of the winter season as viewed from the 44th parallel, near Castelnovo ne' Monti, Italy.

The disk of the Sun is seen crossing UNESCO's Man and Biosphere reserve in Italy's Appennino Tosco-Emiliano Park, where the Bismantova Stone stands out with its peculiar shape (at right center). Though it's midwinter now, the Sun is approximately 8 degrees higher in the sky than it was when this montage was taken, on December 24, 2017.

Photo Details: Nikon D750 camera; 16mm fisheye lens; f/2.8; 48 exposures with 10 minutes interval (46 exposures with optical solar filter); 48 pictures stacked of the Sun from sunrise to sunset. 

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