Today's Image

Analemma 2013

View larger. |  Analemma at 7 a.m. in Kumagaya, Saitama, Japan during 2013. Photographed by Masayuki Shiraishi. Used with permission and thanks.
View larger. | Analemma at 7 a.m. in Kumagaya, Saitama, Japan during 2013. Photographed by Masayuki Shiraishi. Used with permission and thanks.

Masayuki Shiraishi in Japan recorded the sun’s position in the sky throughout 2013. He took these photos at the same time every day (7 a.m.). The figure-8 path that resulted is called an analemma. Shiraishi wrote:

My analemma project started on December solstice in 2012 and finished on December solstice in 2013.

This photo contains the sun images from Jan. 18 to Dec. 22, that is, all the sun images are only in 2013.

Analemma photography requires an astronomical precision alignment, so I used a triple alignment; fixing the mount to the mark on window bar, a rough alignment of the field of view using 2 corner points in the camera view, and a precise alignment of the images using ridge lines of 2 buildings with rotation by 0.01 degrees and magnification by 0.1% on Photoshop. (Each sun image with ND was taken sequentially with the scene without ND and overlaid for the third alignment)

Nikon COOLPIX P510 digital camera;
ISO 100, F3.0, 1/4s to 1/30s exposure, f=24mm, ND 100000 for the sun, taken at 7:00 am using a radio-clock.
ISO 100, F3.0, 1/2000s exposure, f=24mm for the scene to building alignment (not used in the final image).
ISO 100, F8.3, 1/400s exposure, f=24mm for the background of analemma, taken on Jan. 19, 2013.

Thank you for allowing us to publish your work, Masayuki Shiraishi.

Analemma at 7 a.m. from January 18, 2013 to December 22, 2013.   Composed by Masayuki Shiraishi in Kumagaya, Saitama, Japan.   Used with permission and thanks.
This image is the same as the one above, but unlabeled. Masayuki Shiraishi in Kumagaya, Saitama, Japan captured this analemma during 2013. Used with permission.
Posted 
December 30, 2013
 in 
Today's Image

Like what you read?
Subscribe and receive daily news delivered to your inbox.

Your email address will only be used for EarthSky content. Privacy Policy
Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.

More from 

Deborah Byrd

View All