Summer and Winter Solstice
What is the longest day of the year called?
Summer solstice.
How many seasons are there in a year?
Four
What is the name of the Moon phase when it appears completely dark?
New Moon
What causes day and night on Earth?
Earth's rotation on its axis.
What happens to the ocean water level during high tide?
The ocean water level rises
What is the shortest day of the year called?
Winter solstice.
What are the four seasons called?
Summer, autumn, winter and spring.
What is the name of the Moon phase when the entire visible face appears illuminated?
Full Moon.
How long does Earth take to complete one full rotation?
Approximately 24 hours.
What is the name given to the tide when the ocean water level is at its lowest?
Low tide.
During which month does the summer solstice occur in Australia?
December
What causes the different seasons on Earth?
Earth's tilted axis as it orbits the Sun.
What causes the different phases of the Moon?
As the Moon orbits Earth, we see different amounts of its sunlit half.
Which direction does Earth rotate?
From west to east
Which object in space has the greatest influence on Earth's ocean tides?
The Moon.
Why does the Southern Hemisphere experience its longest day during summer solstice?
The Southern Hemisphere is tilted towards the Sun, receiving more direct sunlight and experiencing the longest period of daylight.
Why is it summer in Australia when it is winter in Europe?
Australia is in the Southern Hemisphere and Europe is in the Northern Hemisphere. When one hemisphere is tilted towards the Sun, the other is tilted away.
What is the difference between a waxing Moon and a waning Moon?
Waxing means the illuminated portion appears to be getting bigger. Waning means the illuminated portion appears to be getting smaller.
Why does the Sun appear to rise in the east and set in the west?
Earth rotates from west to east, making the Sun appear to move across the sky from east to west.
What is a spring tide, and when does it occur?
A spring tide is a tide with a particularly large tidal range. It occurs during the new Moon and full Moon when the Sun, Earth and Moon are approximately aligned.
What causes the difference in daylight hours between the summer and winter solstices?
Earth's axis is tilted approximately 23.5° as it orbits the Sun, changing the angle of sunlight and the number of daylight hours throughout the year.
Does Earth's distance from the Sun cause the seasons? Explain your answer.
No. Seasons are caused by Earth's axial tilt, not its distance from the Sun.
Approximately how many days does it take for the Moon to complete one full cycle of phases?
Approximately 29.5 days.
Why is it daytime in Australia while it may be nighttime in another country?
Different parts of Earth face towards or away from the Sun. The side facing the Sun experiences daytime, while the side facing away experiences nighttime.
How does the gravitational pull of the Moon cause high and low tides on Earth?
The Moon's gravitational pull creates tidal bulges in Earth's oceans. Areas experiencing these bulges have high tides, while areas between them experience lower tides.