The Sun passes nearly overhead at Syene (Aswan) in latitude 24.1 degrees on June 21, but Alexandria is at latitude 31.1 degrees, which is 7 degrees more, therefore the Sun misses going overhead by about 7 degrees. This is because earth's surface is curved (the world is spherical).
The ancient Greeks knew this and they also knew the distance from Alexandria to Syene, and they multiplied the distance by 360 / 7 to give an estimate of the Earth's circumference that was surprisingly accurate.
Not always. The sun is directly overhead at the equator at the spring and fall equinoxes.
The sun is never directly overhead in Levittown, NY, as it lies above the Tropic of Cancer.
Antarctica would never have the sun directly overhead at any time during the year due to its location near the South Pole. The tilt of Earth's axis ensures that the sun never reaches directly overhead in this region.
The sun is directly overhead at the summer solstice at the Tropic of Cancer (23.5oN). This is as the most northernly latitude which has the sun directly overhead at any time of the year. A similar case happen at the winter solstice at the Tropic of Capricorn (23.5oS).
The sun is directly overhead the Tropic of Cancer on the June Solstice, which can either fall on June 20 or 21 each year.
Eratosthenes concluded that Syene was in direct line with the sun and the center of the Earth based on observations of shadows cast by objects at noon during the summer solstice. In Syene, vertical objects cast no shadow, while in Alexandria, vertical objects cast a measurable shadow. By measuring the angle of the shadow in Alexandria, he inferred the curvature of the Earth and calculated the distance between the two cities, leading to his estimate of the Earth's circumference. This demonstrated that at one location, the sun was directly overhead while at another, it was at an angle, confirming the Earth's roundness.
Not always. The sun is directly overhead at the equator at the spring and fall equinoxes.
Eratosthenes estimated the circumference of the Earth to be about 39,375 kilometers (approximately 24,662 miles). He achieved this by measuring the angle of the shadow cast by a stick in Alexandria during the summer solstice and comparing it to the angle of a stick in Syene, where the sun was directly overhead. Using the distance between the two cities, he applied basic geometry to calculate the Earth's circumference. His method was remarkably accurate for the time.
The sun is never directly overhead in Levittown, NY, as it lies above the Tropic of Cancer.
If Earth were smaller but the Alexandria-to-Syene distance remained the same, the angle of the sun's rays would change due to the decreased curvature of the Earth. This would result in a longer shadow cast by a vertical pillar in Alexandria at noon during the summer solstice, as the sun would be positioned lower in the sky compared to a larger Earth. Thus, the shorter radius of the smaller Earth would lead to a longer shadow.
A man named Eratosthenes did this without leaving Egypt. He knew that at local noon on the summer solstice in Syene that the sun was directly overhead. He was a Greek astronomer living in Egypt more than 2,000 years ago.
September 21 is the autumnal equinox, where the sun is directly overhead at the equator. Places along the equator, such as Ecuador, Kenya, and Indonesia, are most likely to experience the sun directly overhead on this date.
When the sun appears directly overhead at the Tropic of Cancer, it is the summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere. Conversely, when the sun appears directly overhead at the Tropic of Capricorn, it is the winter solstice in the Southern Hemisphere.
The sun is most directly overhead near the equator. This happens during the equinoxes where the sun is directly above the equator, resulting in near-vertical rays at noon.
It never is overhead at noon because Texas is not in the northernmost point where the sun passes directly overhead at noon.
Antarctica would never have the sun directly overhead at any time during the year due to its location near the South Pole. The tilt of Earth's axis ensures that the sun never reaches directly overhead in this region.
No.