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You can verify the angle of
the sun for yourself. Look at the position of the sunrise and sunset as
the sun is still partially behind the horizon (not above). It should never
set or rise to the north of the Tropic of Cancer which officially runs
horizontally around the globe through Mexico at midpoint. From Dallas, TX,
on June 21, 2007, the sun was rising in the northeast and setting in the northwest at a
northerly 26 degree angle. The sun should never be north of Dallas at
anytime. As we move farther past the summer
solstice into autumn and winter, the angle will
naturally decrease, but this is a normal seasonal change and it does not
mean the axis tilt has not increased.
The angle of the sunrise and
sunset will vary depending on the latitude coordinates from where you are
viewing the sun and the time of year. Note or photograph the exact positions where the sun
rises and sets behind the horizon. The angles must be noted by viewing
from a single point on the north side of your home (see image example
below).
Use Google Earth to get a
satellite overview of your location. This will give you the compass true
north direction and your latitude & longitude coordinates. You can
also use the satellite image to draw a line to the locations on the
horizon to see the angle of the sun from your location.
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