An analemma is a composite photograph of the sun's position,
taken from the same place at the same time of day (ignoring
Daylight Savings) at regular intervals. The photo below traces
the sun's path in the sky over 2010, with each image of the sun
separated by about 10 days: In the Summer, the sun rises high in
the sky; in the Winter it barely makes it over the horizon (and,
if you live above the Arctic Circle or in Antarctica, it never
rises at all). The elegant figure-eight shape is caused by the
tilted angle of the Earth's axis as it revolves around the Sun
-- think of it like a warped bicycle wheel floating in space,
viewed from edge on. Happy New Year, everyone! National
Geographic: Sun Pictures: A Full Year in a Single Frame