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

This immediately explains the north-south extent of the analemma! —Phil Plait, Scientific American, 5 June 2025

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

borrowed from Latin analēmma "diagram showing how the length of the shadow of a dial pin varies with the season," borrowed from Greek análēmma, earlier, "prop, support," from analēm-, stem in derivation of analambánein "to take up, pick up" (from ana- ana- + lambánein "to take, seize") + -ma, resultative noun suffix — more at latch entry 1

First Known Use

1969, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for analemma

• lymphedema
• papilledema
• plasmalemma
• sarcolemma
• angioedema
• dilemma
• oedema
• emma
• gemma
• lemma