Earth's Orbit and Tilt
How long does it take Earth to revolve around the Sun?
365.25 days
The longest day of the year is ___________________ and the shortest day of the year is _______________
Longest = summer solstice
shortest = winter solstice
What is the latitude at the equator?
0 degrees
What is our time zone?
Eastern Standard Time
If you visited Antarctica at Christmas, what season would it be there?
summer
What is the tilt angle of the Earth's axis?
23.5 degrees
What does equinox mean? How many hours of day and night are there at the equinoxes?
"equal night" ; 12 hours day, 12 days night
What is the latitude at the north pole?
90 degrees N
Explain Daylight Saving Time and how we practice it.
Changing clocks in spring to better use daylight hours.
Spring Forward. Fall Back.
Why do the northern hemisphere and southern hemisphere have opposite seasons?
When the northern hemisphere is tilted towards the Sun (summer), the southern hemisphere is tilted away from the Sun (winter). And vice versa.
The Earth's axis is always pointed towards this.
Polaris
Describe the location of the sunrise and sunset on the winter solstice.
Sun rises south of due east and sets south of due west
summer solstice: 24 hours daylight because North Pole is inclined toward the Sun
winter solstice: 24 hours darkness because North Pole is inclined away from the Sun.
What is Standard Time and why was it developed?
Dividing the world into 24 time zones based on longitude. This helped people determine the time when they were quickly crossing large areas (ie. train).
Describe the lag of the seasons (seasonal lag). Give an example.
The Earth warms and cools slowly. August is usually warmer than June. January/February are usually colder than December.
When does the tropical year begin?
vernal equinox - March 21
Describe the angle of the Sun at noon on the summer solstice.
Highest in the sky
What is the latitude of the arctic circle?
66 degrees N
If it is 6 am in Pacific Standard Time, what time is it in Maryland?
9 am EST
What zodiac constellations does the Sun pass through at: the vernal equinox, summer solstice, autumnal equinox, and winter solstice?
vernal equinox: Pisces
summer solstice: Gemini
autumnal equinox: Virgo
winter solstice: Sagittarius
Explain what causes our seasons.
As the Earth moves around the Sun, its axis is tilted. This tilt is what causes our seasons because through the year different parts of the planet are angled towards or angled away from the Sun's light.
Describe the Sun's path through our sky (rising, setting, high noon) at the autumnal equinox and then moving into October
Autumnal Equinox: rises due east, reaches about 48 degrees at meridian, sets due west. Equal day & night.
--> Begins lowering in the sky and rising/setting farther south
If you wanted to go on a tropical vacation, between which latitudes would you be going to? Why?
Tropics: 23 degrees N (Tropic of Cancer) to 23 degrees S (Tropic of Capricorn)
These are warm all year.
What are the time zones of the continental United States? If it is 10 pm EST, what time will the others be?
Eastern Standard Time: 10 pm
Central Standard Time: 9 pm
Mountain Standard Time: 8 pm
Pacific Standard Time: 7 pm
What is the warmest season and why?
Summer: longer hours of daylight and Sun is higher in the sky. This causes intense head from the Sun and longer hours to heat up.