Final answer:
On latitude 40° S, the angle of the sun above the horizon at solar noon is 26.5° on June 21 and 90° on December 21. This is because of the tilt of the Earth's axis and subsequent sun's declination.
Step-by-step explanation:
To collect data for latitude 40° S on June 21 and December 21 regarding the angle of the sun above the horizon at solar noon, we need to use our understanding of Earth's tilt and its impact on the sun's declination throughout the year. During th
e June solstice, the north pole is inclined towards the Sun, so the declination of the Sun is 23.5° N. Since we are looking at 40° S latitude, the angle from the zenith to the sun would be 40° + 23.5° = 63.5°. Since the zenith angle is complementary to the altitude above the horizon, we subtract from 90° to find the altitude, resulting in 90° - 63.5° = 26.5°.
On the December solstice, the north pole is inclined away from the Sun, and the declination of the Sun is 23.5° S. At a latitude of 40° S, the sun is directly overhead, so the angle from the zenith is 0°, and therefore, the sun's altitude is 90°.
Here are the resulting angles for latitude 40° S on June 21 and December 21:
- June 21: 26.5° above the horizon.
- December 21: 90° above the horizon.