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The solar azimuth angle is the azimuth (horizontal angle with respect to north) of the Sun's position. [ 1 ] [ 2 ] [ 3 ] This horizontal coordinate defines the Sun 's relative direction along the local horizon , whereas the solar zenith angle (or its complementary angle solar elevation ) defines the Sun's apparent altitude .
This is the coordinate system normally used to calculate the position of the Sun in terms of solar zenith angle and solar azimuth angle, and the two parameters can be used to depict the Sun path. [3] This calculation is useful in astronomy, navigation, surveying, meteorology, climatology, solar energy, and sundial design.
The azimuth is the angle formed between a reference direction (in this example north) and a line from the observer to a point of interest projected on the same plane as the reference direction orthogonal to the zenith. An azimuth (/ ˈ æ z ə m ə θ / ⓘ; from Arabic: اَلسُّمُوت, romanized: as-sumūt, lit.
It is the complement to the solar altitude or solar elevation, which is the altitude angle or elevation angle between the sun’s rays and a horizontal plane. [1] [2] At solar noon, the zenith angle is at a minimum and is equal to latitude minus solar declination angle. This is the basis by which ancient mariners navigated the oceans. [3]
In the above equation, ψ s and θ s are respectively the azimuth and zenith angle of the Sun, and ψ and θ are respectively the azimuth and zenith angle of the observed point. This equation breaks down at the zenith where the angular distance between the observed pointing and the zenith, θ s is 0. Here the orientation of polarization is ...
A 2021 publication [8] about solar geometry first calculates the x-, y-, and z-component of the solar vector, which is a unit vector with its tail fixed at the observer's location and its head kept pointing toward the Sun, and then uses the components to calculate the solar zenith angle and solar azimuth angle. The calculated solar vector at 1 ...
The navigational triangle or PZX triangle is a spherical triangle used in astronavigation to determine the observer's position on the globe. [1] It is composed of three reference points on the celestial sphere: P is the Celestial Pole (either North or South). It is a fixed point. Z is the observer's zenith, or their position on the celestial ...
Even with these restrictions, if the polar angle (inclination) is 0° or 180°—elevation is −90° or +90°—then the azimuth angle is arbitrary; and if r is zero, both azimuth and polar angles are arbitrary. To define the coordinates as unique, the user can assert the convention that (in these cases) the arbitrary coordinates are set to zero.