Remember the movie Raiders of the Lost Ark starring Harrison Ford as Indiana Jon
ID: 157609 • Letter: R
Question
Remember the movie Raiders of the Lost Ark starring Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones? In the film, Indiana Jones inserts a staff into the floor of a subterranean chamber where the Ark is hidden. At a specific time of day, rays from the sun shining through the entrance to the chamber strike the staff, exposing the hiding place of the Ark. For sake of argument, suppose the chamber was located on the equator. Further suppose that the entrance to the chamber faced due east. Also suppose that only sunlight at dawn on a day when the sun’s midday rays are slated to strike the equator at right angles is able to activate the staff. Around what time of year would Indiana Jones have been able to attempt to recover the Ark?
a. autumnal equinox
b. spring equinox
c. winter solstice
d. summer solstice
e. both a and b
Explanation / Answer
e. both a and b
On the two equinoxes, the tilt of the Earth's axis is perpendicular to the Sun's rays.
On the equinox, night and day are nearly exactly the same length