In sci.space.station message dvSdnQvSeO5r7FTMnZ2dnUVZ_oqdnZ2d@earthlink
..com, Tue, 25 Jun 2013 06:33:26, "Greg (Strider) Moore" mooregr@ignore
thisgreenms.com posted:

"Brian Gaff" wrote in message ...


It is a matter of perspective. The sun really covers a very small part
of the sky. (Can't recall the number and having trouble finding it.)

There is a system known as Wikipedia, which is reasonably accurate on
most technical matters. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun's general
box includes : Angular size 31.6' – 32.7' - so if you know what size 1'
is ... ; for the Moon, Angular diameter 29.3 to 34.1 arcminutes .

But figure the station has to cover 360 degrees in 90 minutes (give or
take). It's covering 4 degrees in a minute.

Or 1 degree in 15 seconds.

Hmm, and I was betting the sun was about 1 degree of arc, so that all jives.

You should know, from eclipses, that the Sun is the same angular
diameter, as seen from here, as the Moon. The Moon, in antiquated
units, is 2,000 miles across, and 240,000 miles away (approximate
means). Therefore the diameter is 2/240 radians; and since the radian
is about 57.3 degrees, the sun appears about half a degree across.


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