Observations

The observations for this portion of the lab will require you to do multiple observations of the sunset throughout the course of the quarter.

1. Find a place from which you can observe the sunset and make a note of the precise location (choose a bench or a tree since you will need to return to this EXACT location to do all of your observations). You will be making multiple observations throughout the quarter so make certain that it is an easily accessible spot.
2. For your first observation, you need to arrive before sunset in order to make a sketch of the western horizon. Make certain that your sketch includes some landmarks that will act as reference points against which you can compare the changing location of the sunset.
3. Observe the location of the sunset relative to your reference points and include it in your sketch making a note of the date, time, and location of your observation.
4. Repeat this observation approximately once a week throughout the course of the quarter and draw the location of each subsequent sunset into your ORIGINAL sketch.
5. In addition to your sketches, make a table to record your observations, and include the following information for EACH observation:
   • The date and time of the observation
   • The number of days since the previous observation
   • The direction that the sun has moved since the previous observation (north/south)
   • The number of degrees that the sunset has moved since the previous observation
   • The approximate rate at which the sunset has moved during the period since the previous observation (To compute this rate, simply divide the number of degrees that the sunset has moved by the number of days since the last observation.)