analemma

noun

an·a·lem·ma ˌa-nə-ˈle-mə

plural analemmas

: a plot or graph in the shape of a figure eight that shows the position of the sun in the sky at a given time of day (such as noon) at one specific locale measured throughout the year

Affix a camera to a sturdy mount … and take a photo of the Sun at a particular time of day. Sounds simple enough. Do this regularly throughout a calendar year and you'll end up with a picture of the analemma, the Sun's apparent path in our sky throughout the year.—

Astronomy

also : a scale (as on a globe or sundial) based on such a plot that shows the sun's position for each day of the year or that allows local mean time to be determined

analemmatic

ˌa-nə-le-ˈma-tik

-lə-

adjective

Her preliminary designs include such things as a kind of interactive sundial, known as an analemmatic sundial, in which a participating child will be able to stand in a certain spot and have his shadow mark the hour of the day. —

The Springfield (Massachusetts) Republican

Examples of analemma in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

The analemma plays into the sunrise and sunset times. —

Katie Peek, Popular Science, 21 Dec. 2020 Skylights filter natural light while tracking the days on an analemma — a sun calendar embedded in the quartzite-stone floor in the living room. —

Los Angeles Times, 3 Apr. 2020

Word History

Etymology

Latin, sundial on a pedestal, from Greek analēmma, lofty structure, sundial, from analambanein to take up, restore, from ana- + lambanein to take — more at latch

First Known Use

1969, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of analemma was in 1969

See more words from the same year