User:Staubinr/sandbox

Test Page Staubinr for Sun Transit

The sun transit time, also referred to as Sun&#x2013;meridian transit time, is the daily moment when the Sun culminates on the observer's meridian, reaching its highest position in the sky. This solar time is most often used as local noon and therefore will vary with longitude. For example, on April 29, the sun transit time in Boston, Massachusetts is 12:42 p.m., whereas that for New York, New York is 12:53 p.m. This is due to longitudinal distance between the two cities.

History of the sun transit
Since the beginning of humankind, navigators and explorers were struggling to find there position with accuracy. For most of them, it was a question of life and death. The first instrument was a magnetic needle that was able to show the electromagnetic north pole in xxx Reference. But, it was not accurate enough. In xxx they resume the elevation of the Polaris and were able to measure there latitude. Longitude was a big problem. Around 1761 with the invention of modern chronometer by John Harrison, the longitude calculation was finally accessible to every one. You just need an angle measurement of the sun transit, a good chronometer and an accurate sun transit table.

The importance of the sun transit accuracy
For a navigator, it is important to have an accurate measurement and accurate sun transit table. Earth have a circumference of 40 000 Km. That means we move around 27 Km per minute. An error of one minute can make a big difference.

Why sun transit is important today
We still need a simple way to calculate an accurate sun transit for all these automatic devices that help your life. If you want to program a solar panel that automatically align with the sun, you will need a accurate sun transit. If you want to program a light to start when it is dark, you will need a sun transit calculation.