Sunday, September 7th, 2008

SPACE

Day/Night and Seasons

Day and Night We have day and

night on Earth because of the Earth’s rotation – the earth spinning around and around. (1670 km/hr)

The side of the earth facing the sun is in daylight.

The other side of the earth experiences night.

As the earth rotates, everyone on earth experiences day and night.

It takes 24 hours for the Earth to rotate once.

Seasons

If the Earth was perfectly balanced, as it is in this animation, we wouldn’t have different seasons and the sun would always rise and set at the same time every day.

Seasons

Every part of the Earth would receive an equal amount of sunlight as the earth rotated.

But the Earth isn’t perfectly balanced, it’s tilted on its axis…

…and it’s revolving around the sun.

The tilt changes how much sunlight each part of the earth receives.

It is this tilt which makes our days longer or shorter and it’s what causes the seasons.

In the summer, we’re tilted towards the sun.

Our days are longer and we receive more direct sunlight (which makes it hot).

In winter, we’re tilted away from the sun.

Our days are shorter and we receive less direct sunlight (which makes it cold)

Animation Video Seasons Game

Time and movement of earth and moon around sun Animation