<p>It moves in circles. At the poles there is no direction defined (east, west, north or south). </p>

<p>This is how the sun moves at the north pole: <a href="http://www.jaloxa.eu/resources/daylighting/docs/sunpath_90_north.pdf">http://www.jaloxa.eu/resources/daylighting/docs/sunpath_90_north.pdf</a> . You can compare it to the other latitudes to get an idea. (<a href="http://www.jaloxa.eu/resources/daylighting/sunpath.shtml">http://www.jaloxa.eu/resources/daylighting/sunpath.shtml</a>)</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-07-05T15:11:50.403Z
I don't know how to interpret the red lines on the diagrams.
SabreWolfy
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-07-05T15:12:37.240Z
By "circles", do you mean the sun moves around the entire horizon (360 degrees)?
SabreWolfy
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-07-05T15:28:56.403Z
Yes. It moves around the 360 degree horizon at a nearly constant altitude. This altitude slowly varies over a year from -23.5 degrees to +23.5 degrees and back.

In the diagrams, the solid lines are the paths of the sun over one day (projection of the celestial sphere on to the ground plane) as marked for specific days. The dashed lines indicate the positions at every hour of every day over the course of a year (you'll only see the odd hour lines at the poles because the even hour lines coincide with the polar grid).
Takku
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-07-05T15:32:46.027Z
Thanks. I wondered why this YouTube video showed the sun moving around the entire horizon :) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZcafg-meJA
SabreWolfy
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-07-05T15:50:00.450Z
@SabreWolfy The youtube video was done at a location just north of the Arctic Circle. If it was taken at the North Pole (1) there would be no land (2) the sun would be at nearly the same elevation throughout the entire day.
LDC3
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-07-05T15:07:54.837Z
2014-07-05T15:07:54.837Z
Takku
<p>At places other than the poles, the sun is seen to "rise" on the Eastern horizon and to "set" on the Western horizon. After a period of night, the sun "reappears" on the Eastern horizon.</p>

<p>At the poles, during the short periods of 24-hour daylight, what does the sun path look like? Where does the sun move after it has reached its Western most position? Back Eastwards along the same path in reverse?</p>

<the-sun><horizon>
Sun path at poles
SabreWolfy
# Sun path at poles

(Asked by: username_0 on 2014-07-05)

At places other than the poles, the sun is seen to "rise" on the Eastern horizon and to "set" on the Western horizon. After a period of night, the sun "reappears" on the Eastern horizon.

At the poles, during the short periods of 24-hour daylight, what does the sun path look like? Where does the sun move after it has reached its Western most position? Back Eastwards along the same path in reverse?

**Tags:** the-sun, horizon

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2014-07-05. Score: 8 | Accepted answer

It moves in circles. At the poles there is no direction defined (east, west, north or south).

This is how the sun moves at the north pole: <http://www.jaloxa.eu/resources/daylighting/docs/sunpath_90_north.pdf> . You can compare it to the other latitudes to get an idea. (<http://www.jaloxa.eu/resources/daylighting/sunpath.shtml>)

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: I don't know how to interpret the red lines on the diagrams.  
> **username_0**: By "circles", do you mean the sun moves around the entire horizon (360 degrees)?  
> **username_1**: Yes. It moves around the 360 degree horizon at a nearly constant altitude. This altitude slowly varies over a year from -23.5 degrees to +23.5 degrees and back.  In the diagrams, the solid lines are the paths of the sun over one day (projection of the celestial sphere on to the ground plane) as marked for specific days. The dashed lines indicate the positions at every hour of every day over the course of a year (you'll only see the odd hour lines at the poles because the even hour lines coincide with the polar grid).  
> **username_0**: Thanks. I wondered why this YouTube video showed the sun moving around the entire horizon :) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZcafg-meJA  
> **username_2**: @SabreWolfy The youtube video was done at a location just north of the Arctic Circle. If it was taken at the North Pole (1) there would be no land (2) the sun would be at nearly the same elevation throughout the entire day.  

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