Astronomy/Sun speed

Advertisement

Expert: Jesse Martinez - 1/3/2010


Question
I am a sculptor and I have this idea for a kinetic sculpture that the top needs to be under the sun at all time so the effect that I am trying to achieve takes place. so my idea is to create a base with a mechanism that will rotate at the same speed of the sun so the sculpture is under the sun at all times. Now since this sculpture will be taken to several shows around the country I need to adjust the position of this base according to the time of the day when the sculpture is put on the exhibition. So, my question to you what is the speed or how lon does the sun take to describe the arch between east and west. I hope I make sense with this description.
Thank you
Alfonso

Answer
Greetings Alfonso,

I think I understand what you are trying to accomplish. You want to have an outdoor sculpture that is unaffected by the shadows caused by the sun. Or maybe not. The motion of the sun across the sky varies with location and time of year. It is not going to be easy to do without a great understanding of celestial mechanics and engineering.

But I do have a solution for you. It is as simple as adapting the computer controlled tracking mechanism of a modern telescope to your creation. They have the ability to track the sun across the sky at anytime and in any location. If your sculpture is exceedingly heavy, you might need to have one built for the specific purpose. In any case, you will probably have to consult with an engineer. It is possible and not very complicated to do. I might be expensive depending on the size and complexity of you sculpture. Call on me if you need anything further. May your project go well.

Astronomy

All Answers

Answers by Expert:

Ask Experts

Volunteer

Jesse Martinez

Expertise

General and specific questions about the solar system and stellar and galactic astronomy, are what I can easily answer off the top of my head. For example, what is the largest planet in the solar system? How far away is the moon? Have there been any confirmed planets in orbit around stars other than the sun? How many stars are there? The tougher ones like explaining the big bang theory and black holes I will leave to the PhD’s. Even though I could muster an answer, I would have to research it more than I would like. I would also like to answer questions that involve Astronomy with other sciences, chemistry, biology, physics, geology and mathematics as long as they are not PhD level.

Experience

I have been into astronomy since I was 8 years old. I have kept detailed journals of my observations through small telescopes. Over the years I have participated in amateur observation projects for organizations like ALPO. My personal research has involved "discovering" the moons of Jupiter with a 4½-inch Newtonian reflector without any outside information like charts and tables. In a summer long project, I determined the existence of and plotted the orbits of the four major moons of Jupiter. From these observations, my data on orbital elements was surprisingly accurate (orbital radius and orbital period).

Education/Credentials
80 hours of college credits while studying physics and geophysics. Completed correspondence photography course while in high school. Took two semesters of electronics training at a community college. Studied computers and graduated from a technical school at the turn of the millennium, gaining A+ and Microsoft Certified Professional credentials. Hablo Español. Si quieres preguntar en Español, estoy a su servicio.

©2012 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company. All rights reserved.