Re: [Phys-l] Teaching elementary astronomy

[brian whatcott <betwys1@sbcglobal.net>]

On 11/21/2010 1:02 PM, Leigh Palmer wrote:
> > Did you intend to express the Solar Altitude
> > at mid Summer as a zenith angle of 90 deg - (L-Q)  ??
> >
> > Brian W
> /snip/
> The zenith angle of the Sun at noon on midsummer day is (L - Q) in the northern hemisphere. In altitude-azimuth coordinates altitude is the complement of the zenith angle. /snip/
> Leigh
Ah yes: Zenith angle as what used to be called zenith distance, I seem 
to recall.

Brian W