During the month of October the Sun's...

During the month of October the Sun's declination is __________.

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🔍 Key Concepts

• Sun’s apparent motion north and south of the celestial equator over the year • The equinoxes (around March 21 and September 23) and solstices (around June 21 and December 21) as turning points for declination • How declination changes between the September equinox and the December solstice

💭 Think About

• First, decide whether the Sun is north or south of the celestial equator during October by thinking about its position just after the September equinox and just before the December solstice. • Next, think about whether the Sun is moving toward or away from the December solstice position in terms of declination value (is it getting more positive or more negative?). • Sketch a simple yearly curve of declination versus month (just high in June, low in December, zero in March/September) and look at the slope of the curve in October.

✅ Before You Answer

• Confirm whether the Sun’s declination is zero, positive (north), or negative (south) in late September and in late December. • Determine if, between late September and late December, the declination values are increasing in magnitude in one direction or moving back toward zero. • Eliminate any choice that disagrees with both: (1) the Sun’s hemisphere (north/south) in October and (2) the trend (increasing/decreasing) over that month.

🔍 Key Concepts

💭 Think About

✅ Before You Answer