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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.
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.
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).