Solar time is a calculation of the passage of time based on the position of the Sun in the sky. The fundamental unit of solar time is the day. Two types of solar time are apparent solar time (sundial time) and mean solar time (clock time).

A tall pole vertically fixed in the ground casts a shadow on any sunny day. At one moment during the day, the shadow will point exactly north or south (or disappear when and if the Sun moves directly overhead). That instant is local apparent noon, or 12:00 local apparent time. About 24 hours later the shadow will again point north/south, the Sun seeming to have covered a 360-degree arc around the Earth's axis. When the Sun has covered exactly 15 degrees (1/24 of a circle, both angles being measured in a plane perpendicular to the Earth's axis), local apparent time is 13:00 exactly; after 15 more degrees it will be 14:00 exactly.

The problem is that in September the Sun takes less time (as measured by an accurate clock) to make an apparent revolution than it does in December; 24 "hours" of solar time can be 21 seconds less or 29 seconds more than 24 hours of clock time. As explained in the equation of time article, this is due to the eccentricity of the Earth's orbit (i.e. the Earth's orbit is not perfectly circular, meaning that the Earth-Sun distance varies throughout the year), and the fact that the Earth's axis is not perpendicular to the plane of its orbit (the so-called obliquity of the ecliptic).

Based on the article and the following list of answers, write a list of questions.

1. the position of the Sun in the sky
2. Two
3. yes
4. apparent solar time
5. sundial time
6. mean solar time
7. clock time
8. yes
9. up to 29 seconds
10. up to 21 seconds less
11. the eccentricity of the Earth's orbit
12. no
13. the distance between Earth and Sun varies throughout the year
14. no
15. yes
16. obliquity of the ecliptic
17. 360
18. yes
19. when the Sun is directly overhead
20. unknown
1. Solar time is based on what?
2. How many kinds of it are there?
3. Can you name one of them?
4. Please name one of them
5. What's another name for that one?
6. Please name the other kind of solar time?
7. Wjat's another name for that kind?
8. Does the sun take less time to get all the way around in September than in December?
9. How many seconds more than 24 hours clock time can solar time be?
10. How many less?
11. This is because of what?
12. Does that mean the Earth's orbit is a perfect circle?
13. What does it mean?
14. Is the Earh's axis perpendicular to the plane of its orbit?
15. Is there another name for that?
16. What is it?
17. The shadow of a pole in sun points in how many possible directions?
18. Does it ever dissappear?
19. When?
20. Does the author like sun dials?