Solar Path Question

Here is an experiment you can try at home to simulate sun angles
and how mirror position and sun position can reflect sunlight onto a
particular area.

Materials;
1 flashlight
1 compact mirror (make-up kit, shaving mirror, ect. Any hand held
mirror)
1 tennis ball
1 lenght of string or twine
2 thumb tacks

Thumb tack one end of the string to the tennis ball, thumb tack the
other end of the string to your ceiling or to the top of a door jam.
The string length should be long enough for the tennis ball to hang
just lower than chest high. The tennis ball is to represent the
tower. You could mount the tennis ball on a stick with a base so it
won't fall over but hanging the tennis ball may be easier.
Hold the mirror below and to the side of the tennis ball. Turn on
the flashlight and hold it above the tennis ball pointing down. The
flashlight is to represent the sun. Point the flashlight at the
mirror. Now vary the angle of the mirror untill the reflected light
is aimed at the tennis ball (you may want to do this in a darkened
room to help emphasise the light).
Now vary the position of the mirror and the flashlight forward,
backward, left and right, trying to keep the relative "altitude"
(meaning height above and below the tennis ball) of the flashlight
and mirror the same. Just play around for a while.

You should get the general idea. If not, I can elaborate further.

Hope this helps you visualize things a bit.

king_rodent (putting the eek in geek)

> I've just posted a file called solar path in the files section. I'm
> trying to get an idea of how a heliostat/tower would work on the
> lunar equator and I'm confused about the layout. Perhaps the wise
> people of the group can help me visualize this process.
>
> Here's my confusion. If we are located on the equator, would the
> mirrors have to track the sun from due east, directly overhead,
then
> watch the sun set due west. This would be the top diagram. If this
> is correct, how do the mirrors "in front" of the solar tower
reflect