In the northern hemisphere, does the sun point directly south at its zenith?

[Kim04]

I am pretty confused. I am a park ranger and am trying to make sure I understand the concept of equinoxes, and specifically, why the sun rises due east on any horizon on the equinoxes. I'm trying to simplify for younger audiences, without mentioning the celestial equator. 

My thinking is this (I'm going to have visuals for the younger audience, so this sounds more complicated than it will look):

If the north pole is tilted directly towards the sun during the summer solstice, and directly away during the winter solstice, the equinoxes are when both poles are tilted 90 degrees from the sun. So looking at the spots where sunrise is occurring on Earth, which are the spots 90 degrees away from the "noon spot" (where the suns rays are hitting earth directly), there is a line of longitude connecting both poles, running north to south, which appears to stand straight up (if looking directly at the line of longitude where sunrise is happening), meaning lines of east and west point horizontal (rather than at some diagonal angle), directly at the sun, meaning all lines running east west at the locations experiencing sunrise are pointing towards the center of the sun.

Is there something wrong with this? Because I've heard that in the northern hemisphere, when the sun is at its zenith, it is pointing due south. If the way I explained it is correct, it seems like on the equinoxes, during solar noon, your line of longitude will be diagonal (if viewed so that the spots experiencing solar noon from a vertical line) so the spot on the equator experiencing solar noon at the same time as you won't be on your same line of longitude, but will actually be east of it, meaning the sun at its zenith would point southeast. Where am I going wrong in my thinking about all of this? I hope I explained that somewhat coherently.

[Corncrake]

37 minutes ago, Kim04 said:

without mentioning the celestial equator. 

sun is at its zenith, it is pointing due south

That is your first mistake, all your other convolutions follow from that exclusion.

.

The sun does not have a zenith, (well not in this geotag ref!) only you do, the sun has an upper culmination. The sun does not point, only you do.

 

Edited July 14, 2020 by Corncrake

[Kim04]

Do you know if, when you are facing the sun when it appears highest in the sky from your location in the northern hemisphere, on the equinoxes, you are facing due south or southeast?

[Split Zygote2]

Due South.

This link to a Wiki article should be helpful.

 https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meridian_(astronomy)

[Knighty2112]

Position of the sun at highest altitude crossing the meridian on the next equinox  from UK.

[Corncrake]

In the northern hemisphere the sun is due south at local noon (not civil noon !) on any day**. Push a stick into the ground in your range and get your youngsters to mark its shadow during the day. it will be shortest at local noon.  If they do that each hour they will have a crude sundial

**Be careful though, strictly speaking the equinox is a moment in time and may not happen at your local noon, (the equinox it is not a day). So the direction of the sun AT the equinox may not be due south for you !

 

Edited July 14, 2020 by Corncrake

[Knighty2112]

Position of the sun at noon on next equinox, rather than when it crosses meridian.

[George Jones]

On 14/07/2020 at 00:22, Corncrake said:

In the northern hemisphere the sun is due south at local noon (not civil noon !) on any day**. Push a stick into the ground in your range and get your youngsters to mark its shadow during the day. it will be shortest at local noon.  If they do that each hour they will have a crude sundial

**Be careful though, strictly speaking the equinox is a moment in time and may not happen at your local noon, (the equinox it is not a day). So the direction of the sun AT the equinox may not be due south for you !

 

Be careful. As a general statement, your first sentence is FALSE.

[johnturley]

24 minutes ago, George Jones said:

 

Be careful. As a general statement, your first sentence is FALSE.

I assume by local noon Corncrake meant the time when the sun transits (i.e. noon as indicated by a sundial), rather than local noon which would still be affected by the equation of time.

John 

Edited July 16, 2020 by johnturley

[George Jones]

8 minutes ago, johnturley said:

I assume by local noon Corncrake meant the time when the sun transits, rather than local noon which would still be affected by the equation of time.

John 

 

I meant something more fundamental. Suppose Mike lives in the northern hemisphere between the Tropic of Cancer and the equator (as I did for two years). Where does Mike see the Sun on a date that is near June 20th, and at a time that is near local noon?