Path of the Sun from Two Different Latitudes

June 08, 2022

 

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Photographers: Marco Meniero; Alessandro Liberatore

Summary Authors: Alessandro Liberatore; Marco Meniero 

The above shows what happens if you photograph the path of the Sun from two different latitudes. Both images were made near the time of the December solstice and portray the movement of the Sun in the sky during a 24-hour period. The one on the left (December 26, 2021) was captured from the Italian Concordia Antarctic Base, where at this time of year the Sun never sets.

The photo on the right (December 20, 2016) was taken in Tuscany, Italy and shows the Sun and also twilight and star trails about the North Celestial Pole. At Italian latitudes, and everywhere in the mid-latitudes and tropics, the Sun always rises and sets. In the Northern Hemisphere, only at latitudes higher than the Arctic Circle (approximately 66.34 degrees north latitude) will the Sun remain below the horizon or above the horizon for an entire 24-hour period.  

Photo details: Both shots were taken using with Photoshop's Photomerge feature, and once the panoramas were complete, Photoshop's Polar Coordinate / Units Distort filter was used for the spherical projection.