Notes
Slide Show
Outline
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Cycles of the Sun
  • Length of Days & Nights
  • Seasons
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Length of Days & Nights
  • The Earth rotates on its axis
  • A complete rotation takes a little over 24 hours (1 day)
  • One side of the Earth is always facing the Sun


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Length of Days & Nights
  • The side of the Earth facing the Sun has day
  • The side of the earth facing away from the Sun has night
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As the Earth Rotates…
  • The side of the Earth in the sunlight spins away and becomes night
  • The side of the Earth in the dark spins toward the Sun and becomes day
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Changing Length of Day & Day
  • The number of hours of daylight received each day depends on the latitude.
  • The equator receives about 12 hours of daylight all year long
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Changing Length of Day & Day
  • The hemisphere that is tilted toward the Sun gets more hours of daylight that the hemisphere tilted away from the Sun
  • Latitudes closest to the equator have less change in hours of daylight
  • Latitudes further from the equator have more dramatic changes in hours of daylight
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Seasons
  • The Earth is tilted on its axis
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Seasons
  • The tilt does not change – it always remains pointed in the same direction
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Seasons
  • As the Earth revolves around the Sun, the tilt sometimes points toward the Sun, sometimes away from the Sun, and sometimes neither away nor toward the Sun
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Seasons
  • The hemisphere that is tilted toward the Sun has summer
    • Longer days (more hours of sunlight)
    • Warmer weather
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Seasons
  • The hemisphere that is tilted away from the Sun has winter
    • Shorter days (less hours of sunlight)
    • Cooler weather
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Seasons
  • When the Earth is positioned so that the tilt is neither towards nor away from the Sun, we have Spring and Fall
    • Moderate temperatures
    • Days and nights of similar length
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Seasons: Summer
(Northern Hemisphere)
  • Position of the Earth is such that the northern hemisphere is tilted toward the Sun
  • Summer Solstice (1st day of summer)
    • Sun at highest point (over Tropic of Cancer)
    • Most hours of sunlight (longest day)
    • About June 21

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Seasons: Fall
(Northern Hemisphere)
  • Position of the Earth is such that the northern hemisphere is tilted neither towards nor away from the Sun
  • Autumnal Equinox (1st day of fall)
    • About 12 hours of sunlight
    • About September 22

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Seasons: Winter
(Northern Hemisphere)
  • Position of the Earth is such that the northern hemisphere is tilted away from the Sun
  • Winter Solstice (1st day of winter)
    • Sun at lowest point (over Tropic of Capricorn)
    • Fewest hours of sunlight (shortest day)
    • About December 21

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Seasons: Spring
(Northern Hemisphere)
  • Position of the Earth is such that the northern hemisphere is tilted neither towards nor away from the Sun
  • Vernal Equinox (1st day of spring)
    • About 12 hours of sunlight
    • About March 21

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Energy from the Sun
(Insolation)
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Watch this animation:


http://www.shsu.edu/%7Echm_tgc/sounds/flashfiles/earth.swf
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Works Cited
  • http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/hnx/newslet/spring03/dryjanuaries.htm
  • http://www.nasa.gov/worldbook/wbkids/k_dayandnight.html
  • http://www.lpi.usra.edu/education/skytellers/day_night/activities/cycle_of_light.shtml
  • http://www.nps.gov/lacl/graphics/sun_earth2.jpg
  • http://www.learner.org/jnorth/images/imageshtml/earth-tilt.gif
  • http://costa-rica-guide.com/travel/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=365&Itemid=604&limit=1&limitstart=4
  • http://www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/link=/earth/climate/cli_seasons.html
  • http://www.worldbook.com/features/seasons/assets/tilt4.gif
  • http://www.springboardmagazine.com/SpringImages/seasons.gif
  • http://www.nmm.ac.uk/upload/img/latitude.gif
  • http://www.astro.virginia.edu/class/oconnell/astr121/im/hours-of-daylight-v-date.jpg
  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Summer_Solstice