Dear Tom,
My friend says that the sun can be directly overhead at the latitude of Newfoundland. Is that possible?
Paul Demkovich
Dear Paul,
Your friend is wrong. The only places on Earth where the sun can be directly overhead are in the tropics, the areas lying between the Tropic of Cancer(approximately 23.5(degrees) N) and the Tropic of Capricorn (about 23.5(degrees) S). Shortly, on the June 21 summer solstice, areas north of the tropics will experience the highest sun angle of the year. Chicago, sitting just below the 42nd parallel will see the sun rise to an altitude of about 71.6(degrees) above the horizon, while farther north, residents of St. Johns, Newfoundland at latitude 47.4(degrees) N will view the sun at a peak altitude of about 61.7(degrees). Areas south of the tropics will experience the lowest sun angle of the year that day as the Southern Hemisphere winter begins.
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Tom Skilling is chief meteorologist at WGN-TV. His forecasts can be seen Monday through Friday on WGN-TV News at noon and 9 p.m.
Write to: ASK TOM WHY, 2501 Bradley Pl., Chicago, IL 60618 or asktomwhy@wgntv.com (Mail volume precludes personal response.)
WGN-TV meteorologists Steve Kahn, Richard Koeneman and Paul Dailey plus weather producer Bill Snyder contribute to this page.
