A map of where the sun sits over a place across the day and year. This polar version looks down on the sky dome: compass around the circle, altitude from horizon (edge) to overhead (center), curved lines for key dates, radial lines for hours.
Orientation, overhang and shading design, glazing and outdoor-room placement, daylighting, shadow studies and solar panels. The summer-versus-winter altitude difference is what makes seasonal shading possible.
Noon sun altitude = 90° − latitude + declination. Closer to the equator the sun rides higher and paths flatten overhead; toward the poles it stays low and paths compress to the horizon.
Standard solar-geometry equations, good to a fraction of a degree for design. Positions are in solar time. Adjust for longitude, the equation of time and daylight saving to reach clock time.
Solar noon is when the sun crosses due south, which rarely equals 12:00. The offset comes from your spot in the time zone, the equation of time (±~16 min) and DST. Plotting solar time keeps the geometry exact.