Talk:Sun related calculations: Difference between revisions

Code to calculate Equation of Time and Solar Declination

Hey

I'm wondering if you'd find it useful to have your calculation code translated into python or php. I would be more than willing if you have the interest --Tahnok 13:08, 31 May 2011 (PDT)

Honestly, I do not think I would use it. However, there may be plenty of other people here who would love to have it. For the public good, go right ahead!

However, please be sure that your translated code works right. A while ago, someone translated a program of mine into C. I was grateful, until people pointed out that it did not work...

DOwenWilliams 14:57, 31 May 2011 (PDT) David Williams

Would you mind providing me with a couple of test outputs? I can't seem to get qbasic to run with ubuntu --Tahnok 18:20, 31 May 2011 (PDT)

Ok. I'll look some up in a book. Any astronomy book has that stuff. Give me a day or two...

Follow the Link I put in the article. It will take you to a page that, among other things, tells you how to run QBasic under various operating systems. I'm a bit nervous of having you translate the program without being able to run the original. DOwenWilliams 19:04, 31 May 2011 (PDT) David

Ok. Here is a little table of the Equation of Time and the Solar Declination on the first day of each month of the year:

Month          Eq of T              Decl'n
.
Jan             -3'12               -23'04
Feb            -13'33               -17'20
Mar            -12'34                -7'49
Apr             -4'08                 4'18
May              2'51                14'54
Jun              2'25                21'58
Jul             -3'33                23'09
Aug             -6'16                18'10
Sep             -0'12                 8'30
Oct             10'05                -2'57
Nov             16'20               -14'14
Dec             11'11               -21'43

The Equation of Time is in minutes and seconds, separated by an apostrophe. The Declination is in degrees and minutes, also separated by an apostrophe. My program just calculates the E of T in minutes and fractions, and the Decl'n in degrees and fractions.

I got the above values from a book. The program won't always produce exactly the same numbers. But the Equation of Time should be the same to within 0.1 minutes (6 seconds), and the declination to within 0.1 degrees (6 arc-minutes).

Good enough?

DOwenWilliams 18:14, 1 June 2011 (PDT) David Williams