calculation for latitude..?

Question

I dont know how to to the calculation for latitude.
Can anyone go through these problems and tell me how to do?

1. Given that your latitude is 66.7, how many degrees above the northern horizon will you find the north celestial pole?
2. Given that your latitude is 73.7, how many degrees above the southern horizon will you find the celestial equator?
3. Given that your latitude is 36.3, how many degrees above the southern horizon will you find the Sun at noon on the vernal and fall equinoxes?
4. Given that your latitude is 84, how many degrees above the southern horizon will you find the Sun at noon on the winter solstice?
5. Given that your latitude is 71.1 north, how many degrees above the southern horizon will you find the Sun at noon on the summer solstice?

Can you explain how to get the answer please?

Answer 1

Chris, These are not calculation issues, but definitions, I suspect

1) if you were standing on the North Pole, latitude 90, where would the North Celestial Pole be? Straight up, which is 90 degrees above the horizon.  Now if you were standing on the equator (latitude 0), where would you look to see the same north celestial pole? you would look at the north horizon directly, at zero degrees above it. The further north you go, the higher in the sky The Pole rises. So, if you’re at 66.7 degrees North Latitude, how high would it be?

 

2)if you were standing on the equator(latitude 0), where would you look to see the celestial equator? Straight up! (90 degrees above the horizon). Now if you were standing on the North Pole, where would you look to see the Celestial Equator? at zero degrees above the horizon. So the further north you go, the lower the celestial equator appears. At latitude 0, you look at 90 degrees, at latitude 90, you at look at 0 degrees. So if you’re at 73.7, where would you look?

 

3) do you know where sun is at noon on an equinox? It’s directly above the equator. So it’s at the celestial equator. (In northern summer, it’s further north, in northern winter it’s further south.) So this question has the same sort of answer as question 2: where do you look to see the celestial equator? But the numbers are different because you are at a different latitude.

 

4) Do you know what the winter solstice is? And do you know where the Sun is at that time? The sun appears to be south of the equator in winter, and moving north to the spring equinox, wander further north in summer, to the summer solstice, then south to the equator at the fall equinox, then further south to the winter solstice. The furthest north it goes is called the Tropic of cancer, the furthest south is called the tropic of Capricorn. That’s where the sun is standing at noon on the winter solstice. You have doubtless been told what south latitude is the Tropic of Capricorn.

So question 4 asks how hgh above the horizon to see the Tropic of Capricorn from you (at 84 north latitude).

 

From question 2 and 3 you’ve found how to calculate the height above the horizon to find the equator. To locate something south of the equator, subtract that angle. Unfortunately, when you discover the south latitude of the Tropic of Capricorn, you'll find that it is BELOW the horizon. You can’t see it. Durn trick question!

 

5) same as before, but now, when you know how high to look to see the equator, look HIGHER by the latitude of the Tropic of Cancer.

 

These partial answers are intended to induce you to do some of the work. They may not be enough. If not, please add a Comment with further questions.