Days of the week coding (different each year)
Summer solstice crop
April/September cross section
analemma winter
The afternoon photo

Analemma Calendar for a Standard 365-Days Year

 

The analemma is a term in astronomy used to describe the plot of the different positions of the Sun on the sky recorded at the same time of day and from the same location, each day through the calendar year. This analemma photo is a composite of 365 images of the Sun, made every day at three times of the day (8 a.m., noon and 2:30 p.m.) from Cascade, CO. Prepared during 2004 and 2005. The shape, resembling the figure 8, comes from the fact, that Earth's orbit is an ellipse, and therefore Earth's speed is not constant. Close to the Sun (in winter) it moves faster; see the 3D photo. A thoroughtful mathematical explanation of the shape you may find on Mad Teddy's page and more detail on its shape on the equator is here.

The calendar labeling shows various week days as colored dots. Feel the Sun position every day, throughout the year. Analemma clearly explains why the earliest sunset in the winter or the latest sunset in the summer are not in solstice days (analemma is tilted). This unique calendar is not only for astronomy fans, but it is a cool gift for everybody sensitive to passing seasons and time. Just send me an e-mail to order it or for more info. For the Leap Year Calendar, please ask.

Size of the original: 3674x5505 pixels
Composite of several photos, Sun: f/3.5, exposure 1/250 to 1/500 s, ISO 100, with a sun filter
Canon EOS 1Ds and 1Ds Mark II, F.L. 180 mm, reduced 4x in size.

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