Earth's Orbit and Tilt
How long does it take Earth to revolve around the Sun?
365.25 days
What does equinox mean? How many hours of daylight and night are there?
"equal night" ; 12 hours daylight, 12 hours darkness
If you visited Antarctica at Christmas, what season would it be there?
summer
What is our time zone?
Central Standard Time
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.
What is the tilt angle of the Earth's axis?
23.5 degrees
What is the shortest day of the year (hours of daylight) for the mid-latitudes?
Winter Solstice.
Describe the summer solstice and winter solstice in the arctic circle. Why does this occur?
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).
What is up and down in space, beyond our solar system?
The Milky Way galaxy has an elliptical shape with North above and South below it.
The Earth's axis is always pointed towards this.
Polaris
Describe the changes in where the Sun rises throughout the year, explaining why it is OR is NOT always east.
The sun rises in the east, but as Earth revolves around the sun, it varies from NE to SE.
What is significant about the Tropic of Cancer?
Explain Daylight Saving Time and how we practice it.
Changing clocks in spring to better use daylight hours.
Spring Forward. Fall Back.
What is "high noon"
The point at which the sun appears the highest in the sky.
When does the tropical year begin?
Spring or Vernal Equinox - March 21
Describe how the angle of the Sunlight varies from the equator to the poles.
Direct sunlight hits the equator and INDIRECT sunlight strikes the poles.
What are the approximate latitudes for the following:
Equator:
Tropic of Cancer:
Tropic of Capricorn:
Arctic Circle:
North Pole:
Equator: 0 degrees
Tropic of Cancer: 23 degrees N
Tropic of Capricorn: 23 degrees S
Arctic Circle: 66 degrees N
North Pole: 90 degrees N
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
When the tropics experience seasonal changes, what is the cause, if not the changes in temperature?
Rainfall amount varies
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 as it sets throughout the year.
The sun always sets in the west. However, this varies during the year from NW to SW.
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.
Where is time?
It's on the Rolling Stones side. Yes it is.
Give two reasons that summer is the warmest season.
Longer hours of daylight and Sun is higher in the sky. This causes intense head from the Sun and longer hours to heat up.