An analemma simulator is a digital tool or software application designed to model and visualize the analemma, which is the figure-eight pattern that the Sun makes in the sky when observed at the same time every day over the course of a year from a fixed location on Earth. The symmetry and shape of the analemma are influenced by the axial tilt of the Earth and its elliptical orbit around the Sun.
These simulators use algorithms to replicate these celestial phenomena by taking into account factors such as date, time, geographic location, and the observer’s horizon. Some advanced simulators allow users to manipulate these variables to observe the analemma for different locations worldwide or at different points in history, providing educational insight into astronomical concepts like solar declination, the equation of time, and the Earth’s orbital dynamics.
Analemma simulators can be both web-based and standalone applications. They are often used in educational settings, by enthusiasts of astronomy, or by photographers planning solar-related projects. By illustrating how and why the Sun’s apparent position shifts throughout the year, these simulators provide valuable understanding of both simple and complex Earth/Sun dynamics.