                        Astronomy Picture of the Day

    Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
      fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
                    written by a professional astronomer.

                                2023 June 21
   The Sun's path is shown while setting in multiple exposures over three
     separate days. The top path was taken during a summer solstice, the
      middle path during an equinox, and the lower path during a winter
    solstice. The foreground shows grass and some rocks and trees. Please
             see the explanation for more detailed information.

                               Three Sun Paths
      Image Credit & Copyright: Marcella Giulia Pace & Giuseppe De Donà

   Explanation: Does the Sun follow the same path every day? No. The Sun's
   path changes during the year, tracing a longer route during the summer
   than the winter. Pictured here, the Sun's arc was captured from noon to
   sunset on three days, from highest in the sky to lowest: summer
   solstice, equinox, and winter solstice. The images were taken near
   Gatto Corvino Village in Sicily, Italy in 2020 and 2021. The path and
   time the Sun spends in the sky is more important in determining the
   season than how close the Earth is to the Sun. In fact, the Earth is
   closest to the Sun in January, during northern winter. Today is a
   solstice, so today the Sun is taking its longest path of the year
   across the sky in Earth's northern hemisphere, but the shortest path in
   the southern hemisphere.

                       Tomorrow's picture: open space
     __________________________________________________________________

       Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
            NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply.
                NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices
                      A service of: ASD at NASA / GSFC,
                           NASA Science Activation
                             & Michigan Tech. U.

