StarTalk Radio

Things You Thought You Knew – Where the Sun Don’t Shine

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Jul 25, 2023
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INSIGHT

Sun Position and Latitude Limits

  • The sun is never directly overhead at any time in the continental US because it lies outside the tropics.
  • The highest noon sun altitude decreases with increasing latitude towards the poles.
INSIGHT

Moon's South Pole Shadows

  • At the moon's South Pole, some crater bases never see sunlight because the sun never rises above crater rims.
  • These permanently shadowed regions are called cold traps where ice can remain for billions of years.
ADVICE

Artemis Mission and ISRU

  • NASA's Artemis mission aims to land at the moon's South Pole to verify water presence in cold traps.
  • Utilize local resources on the moon for water to avoid bringing supplies from Earth (ISRU concept).
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