NavList:

This post titled: "What does the Analemma depict?" is what I inteded to post; believe it or not.  I think it is of a little better quality.  

I'm trying to visualize what I read and as a results questions arise, some which are not well thought out before airing them in public. 

It’s funny how that immediately after posting, things become become a littel cleaer.

As an example, the equatorial plane of the earth would intersect the sphere of the sun but only briefly (how many times? I’m guessing two times) through the course of the year.  So, there then is the root of another question:

  "How much time does it take for the equatorial plane of the earth to pass across the disc of the sun from north to south, (or south to north)?" 

Had I paid closer attention in that calc II class 50 years ago, I would enjoy coming up with an approximation to this question my self.  But alas, 

Also Note: ...The last paragraph in the initial post titled "What does the Analemma depict?" should read:  "We usually see, on the printed page, the planes (equatorial and celestial) as they project from the earth." 

Thank you all for allowing me to pose a question now and then.

Steve