For thousands of years humans have relied on the daily cycles of sun for work and play,
to signal the change of seasons, and to mark important ceremonies and rituals. An age-old question for inhabitants
throughout the world thus has been: "When will the sun rise and set, today, tomorrow, and throughout the
year?" Recorded data are not generalizable to times throughout the year and places throughout the world,
and web-generated tables have their limitations as well. A more universal answer to this question can be obtained
through the use of mathematical concepts that were inspired by astronomy origins. The process outlined here is
a fitting turnabout: using trigonometry tools that originated from ancient astronomers, to shed light on an astronomical
phenomenon.
This process derives a simple model, taking into account relativistic planetary motion and its oscillations, to
help us understand and track the sun's "movement" by measuring our sphere's circle of illumination.
Calculations show the extent to which communities from polar regions see significantly more variation in sun schedules
than those near the equator. A model that predicts the sun's schedule and thus the daylight hours facilitates
optimization of solar energy technology and automatic lighting systems at all latitudes. We also address the relationship
between longitude and time zones as a social construct, and the implications of the discrepancies between the sun's
position and the time of day. This model uses an ancient tool to answer a timeless question for a current purpose.
Additional note to conference organizers: To make the presentation a more interactive version of the paper, I
propose to use constructivist teaching methods that makes math concepts easier to visualize.
Furthermore, to demonstrate the model's accuracy and versatility, I will enter the hometown GPS coordinates and
birthday of an attendee to generate sunlight timing for that day.