Welcome to the Sun Shadow
Investigation Project.
The project is no longer active however much of the information including dates for this year's equinox
are correct.
Thank you for your interest.
To see the project web site from previous years click on the appropriate link:
SunShIP 2004 - SunShIP 2005
You are invited to take part in a science collaboration
as a participant in a global Eratosthenes Project. The Eratosthenes Project is named
in honor of Eratosthenes of Cyrene (now known as Libya, North Africa). Erastothenes
(275-195 B.C.) was a scholar, and for many years was the Director of the Library of
Alexandria. Eratosthenes made many contributions to Science and Mathematics but it
was his accurate measurement of the Earth's circumference, using differences in the
Sun's altitude and shadows between two different locations, that we seem to remember
him mostly for.
On or around the day of an equinox (see FAQ for the dates this year)
students could measure
the mid-day altitude of the Sun and/or take pictures of a mid-day shadow at their
location. This mid-day measurement will be used by the students to
determine the circumference of the Earth, while the pictures will be sent to
the SunShIP web site to be included in a gallery of mid-day shadow pictures.
Check the FAQ page for more information about participating in
the project, and also look at the Links page for lessons, activities and other
resources relevant to the investigation of our Sun.
Celebrate Sun-Earth Day 2011 (Ancient Mysteries - Future Discoveries) on March 19th.
Visit the NASA web site
for more information about educator resources.
Sun-Earth Day
Use the button on the FAQ page to add your location to the Guest Map.
Thank you in advance for your interest.
Clear Skies...
Bob Riddle