1SUNDAZEL(1) User Commands SUNDAZEL(1)
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6 sundazel - Compute the time of Solar passage
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9 sundazel [<option>] [<yyyymmdd>]
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12 sundazel computes the local time of the Sun's passage through the spec‐
13 ified apparent longitude or latitude in a user-defined coordinate sys‐
14 tem, for the specified location on the specified date (default today).
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16 The Sun's apparent hour angle, azimuth, elevation, and the longitude
17 and latitude in user coordinates are also printed, in degrees. Refrac‐
18 tion is accounted for.
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20 sundazel may also be used to compute the time of sunrise and set, the
21 Sun's right ascension and declination, and the Equation of Time.
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24 -p <option>
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26 The Solar passage required and, if relevant, the coordinate
27 value in degrees:
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29 sunrise
30 Sunrise.
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32 sunset Sunset.
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34 lng=<lng>
35 Longitude of the Sun in the user-defined coordinate system.
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37 lat=<lat>
38 Latitude of the Sun in the user-defined coordinate system.
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40 -l <lng>,<lat>
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42 Longitude and latitude of the observer.
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44 -t <tz>
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46 The observer's time zone, positive east of Greenwich (hr).
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48 -u <az>,<el>,<zlng>
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50 Azimuth and elevation of the pole of the user-defined coordinate
51 system, and the longitude of the zenith (deg). See below.
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53 -n Set the user-defined coordinate system as one with pole due
54 north on the horizon, with zero of longitude at the zenith.
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56 -w Set the user-defined coordinate system as one with pole due west
57 on the horizon, with zero of longitude at the zenith.
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59 -v Also print the Sun's right ascension, declination (deg), and the
60 Equation of Time (min).
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62 The user-defined coordinate system is a right-handed spherical coordi‐
63 nate system with its pole at the specified azimuth and elevation, and
64 with zenith having the specified longitude. If omitted, the default is
65 a right-handed system with its pole at the zenith and prime meridian
66 due north, i.e. similar to azimuth and elevation except that longitude
67 increases in the reverse sense to azimuth, i.e. from north through west
68 rather than north through east.
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70 Setting a range of azimuth or elevation often provides a poor criterion
71 for timing the passage of the Sun, for example in determining when it
72 shines directly through a skylight, or when an awning casts a shadow on
73 a particular point on the ground. In such cases the projection of the
74 skylight or awning from the ground onto the sky should be considered.
75 Some other coordinate system may provide a better fit to the region of
76 the sky thereby defined. For example, the passage of the Sun across a
77 skylight oriented at azimuth alpha might be handled via a coordinate
78 system with pole on the horizon at that azimuth and considering the
79 Sun's passage through a range of longitude in this system. Perhaps
80 better might be to use a coordinate system with pole at alpha-90 and
81 considering a range of latitude.
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83 Sunrise and sunset correspond to first/last contact of the Sun's limb
84 on the horizon, corresponding to apparent elevation -0.27 deg (true el‐
85 evation -0.79 deg). If no options are specified, the default is to
86 calculate the time of sunset. If more than one p option is specified,
87 only the last is effective.
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91sundazel 7.10 April 2022 SUNDAZEL(1)