Question

When is the Sun highest in the sky at noon for someone who lives on the equator?

A) It is the same altitude and noon on all days.
B) on the solstices (June 21 & December 21)
C) When the Moon is in the 7th house and Jupiter aligns with Mars.
D) on the equinoxes (March 21 & September 21)
E) on the winter solstice (December 21).

Answer 1

The Sun is highest at noon for someone on the equator during the equinoxes, specifically on March 21 and September 21, when it is directly overhead at 90 degrees.

Step-by-step explanation:

When the Sun is highest in the sky at noon for someone who lives on the equator occurs on the dates of the equinoxes. Specifically, the correct answer is D) on the equinoxes (March 21 & September 21). This is because on these dates, the Sun crosses the celestial equator and appears directly overhead at the zenith, which is 90°, for an observer located on the Earth's equator. On the solstices, June 21 and December 21, the Sun's declination is 23° N and 23° S respectively, causing it to be less than 90° above the horizon at noon for an observer on the equator.