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Re: [Phys-l] Teaching elementary astronomy topics



I did not peek, but the build-up suggests the polar regions, with their 24 hour days have maximal insolation; but I take it not the maximal diurnal energy input?

Brian W


On 11/21/2010 12:50 PM, Folkerts, Timothy J wrote:
Here is a question with a surprising (to me anyway) answer.

Where and when is the day with the maximum daily insolation (sunlight integrated over 24 hours)? (This is at the top of the troposphere, so affects of clouds and atmosphere are not important.)

Is it the equator on the first day of spring or fall, where the sun passes straight overhead at noon?
Better yet would be along the tropics on the first day of summer, where the sun is directly overhead at noon and the day is a little longer than 12 hours?
Or a little farther north on the first day of summer, with the sun not quite overhead, but the days are a bit longer yet?

And the answer is
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?????ns ????dsi??? u????nos ??? ui uns ??? o? ??so?? si ????? ??? ?sn???q ??od ??nos ??? ???n?i???d ui .????ns ?o ??p ?s?i? ??? uo s??od ??? ??

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:InsolationTopOfAtmosphere.png for a graph of the results.



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