What is the approximate synodic period measured for a feature near the Sun's equator (0° latitude)?
Answer
27 days
When observing solar features from Earth, the measured time it takes for a feature to return to the same longitude as viewed from our planet is called the synodic period. For regions near the Sun's equator, which rotate the fastest on the visible surface, this observed period averages out to approximately 27 days. This measurement is longer than the true rotation period because the Earth is simultaneously orbiting the Sun in the same direction, meaning the Sun appears to spin slightly more than a full 360 degrees relative to Earth's line of sight before the feature comes back into view. The true rotation period relative to distant stars, the sidereal period, is shorter, around 24.5 days at this latitude.
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