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I have 

h[phi_, delta_] := ArcCos[-Tan[phi Degree] Tan[delta Degree]]
insolation[phi_, delta_, S_: 1368] := (S/Pi) (Cos[delta Degree] Cos[phi Degree] Sin[h] + h Sin[delta Degree] Sin[phi Degree]) /. h -> h[phi, delta]
ContourPlot[insolation[phi, 23.5 Cos[t]], {t, -Pi, Pi}, {phi, -90, 90},
    PlotLegends -> Automatic, ContourLabels -> False, Contours -> 20, 
    ColorFunction -> "TemperatureMap"]

But the resulting figure has areas that are "missing":

What am I doing wrong? How do I get the expected vertical contours extending from the truncated edges to the near horizontal axis in the upper center and bottom right and left corners? How to I "fill in" the regions in the upper right and left corners that are 0?

A similar figure for comparison:

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9
  • $\begingroup$ @Kuba: How do I prevent my uploaded images from being HUGE when I upload Retina screenshots (maybe a meta question; this issue must have come up before)? $\endgroup$
    – orome
    Commented Mar 12, 2014 at 19:19
  • $\begingroup$ Make it a meta question and I'll reply. $\endgroup$
    – Szabolcs
    Commented Mar 12, 2014 at 19:19
  • 1
    $\begingroup$ That region of the contour plot is white because the expression insolation[phi, 23.5 Cos[t]] evaluates to non-real complex numbers at those t,phi points. I tried this by right-clicking the plot, and using Get Coordinates to sample coordinates from that region, then putting them into the expression. $\endgroup$
    – Szabolcs
    Commented Mar 12, 2014 at 19:20
  • $\begingroup$ @Szabolcs: Asked. $\endgroup$
    – orome
    Commented Mar 12, 2014 at 19:23
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    $\begingroup$ @Kuba I must leave now and I might forget when I come back ... feel free to post it yourself and include the PlotRange->All comment .. $\endgroup$
    – Szabolcs
    Commented Mar 12, 2014 at 20:22

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
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Usually such issue is caused by Automatic Range and PlotRange->All would be a fix. It's not the case though.

Szabolcs has noticed:

That region of the contour plot is white because the expression insolation[phi, 23.5 Cos[t]] evaluates to non-real complex numbers at those t, phi points. I tried this by right-clicking the plot, and using GetCoordinates to sample coordinates from that region, then putting them into the expression.

So the quick fix is to take only a real part:

ContourPlot[
 Re@insolation[phi, 23.5 Cos[t]], {t, -Pi, Pi}, {phi, -90, 90}, 
 PlotLegends -> Automatic, ContourLabels -> False, Contours -> 20, 
 ColorFunction -> "TemperatureMap"]

enter image description here

Keep in mind that PlotRange issue could be still a case here, but it isn't :).

Also, this is quick fix, but at the end one should think what taking a real part means for us here or what does it mean our function produced complex values.

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