On the date of the Winter Solstice you find yourself on a beach in San Diego, California (32° North Latitude). The time is approximately solar noon. You look toward the southern sky and see the Sun. How many degrees above the southern horizon (solar angle) is the Sun? What is the solar zenith angle?

The sun is approximately 33.73 degrees above the southern horizon. The solar zenith angle is 56.29 degrees.

Explanation:

Winter solstice is commonly referred to as a midwinter. It usually happens when there is the highest tilting of one of the poles of the Earth away from the sun. It normally happens two times in a year. In a winter solstice, the sun is approximately 33.73 degrees higher than the southern horizon and the solar zenith angle is about 56.29 degrees.