Round and round we go...
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The earth, and all the other planets for that matter, have very specific patterns of movement in the solar system. The planets rotate and revolve.
Rotation is the spinning of a planet on its axis. Picture the spinning of a top. The rotation of the earth is what creates our day and night. The side of the earth that is facing the sun experiences day because the sun is shining on that portion. The half of the earth that is facing away from the sun doesn't get sunlight, so it experiences night. As the earth rotates, the different halves of the earth move through the sunlight. A little later we will discuss why some areas of the earth experiences longer days or longer nights.
Revolution is the circular movement of a planet around another object. For instance, the earth revolves around the sun. One entire revolution is what gives us our calendar year and the seasons.
Rotation is the spinning of a planet on its axis. Picture the spinning of a top. The rotation of the earth is what creates our day and night. The side of the earth that is facing the sun experiences day because the sun is shining on that portion. The half of the earth that is facing away from the sun doesn't get sunlight, so it experiences night. As the earth rotates, the different halves of the earth move through the sunlight. A little later we will discuss why some areas of the earth experiences longer days or longer nights.
Revolution is the circular movement of a planet around another object. For instance, the earth revolves around the sun. One entire revolution is what gives us our calendar year and the seasons.
Earth is Crooked.
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Okay, so maybe crooked is the wrong word. Actually, the earth has its own axis that runs from north pole to south pole. However, this axis isn't straight up and down. Its tilted at about 23 degrees. This means that as that earth revolves around the sun, certain portions are slanted toward the sun and certain portions are slanted away. The portion that is slanted toward the sun gets more direct sunlight during that time of the year, meaning summer. The portion that is slanted away from the sun gets less direct sunlight, meaning winter. This is why the seasons for the Northern and Southern Hemispheres are reversed. When it is Winter in the Northern Hemisphere, the Southern Hemisphere experiences Summer. Imagine having Christmas while being able to wear a swimsuit!
At some places in its orbit, neither side of the earth is tilted toward or away from the sun. Instead, the sun shines directly on the equator. This means that both the northern and hemispheres are getting equal amounts of light. These times of year are either fall or spring, depending on which season came before. For instance, if the Northern hemisphere was recently tilted toward the sun, which would be Summer, and then continued to revolved until it was getting equal light with the Southern Hemisphere, it would then be Fall, because Fall comes directly after Summer.
Now, there are special names for the days of the year that get the most, the least and absolutely equal sunlight and darkness. Days on which daylight or darkness are their longest are called Solstices. These happen during Summer and Winter. During Summer, a hemisphere experiences a day where sunlight lasts longer than any other day. This is the Summer Solstice. During Winter, a hemisphere will experience a day where the sunlight lasts a shorter amount of time than any other day. This is called the Winter Solstice. The days that get absolutely equal amounts of sunlight and darkness, each 12 hours long, are called Equinoxes. There is a Fall Equinox and a Spring Equinox, both with periods of sunlight and darkness that are 12 hours long each.
At some places in its orbit, neither side of the earth is tilted toward or away from the sun. Instead, the sun shines directly on the equator. This means that both the northern and hemispheres are getting equal amounts of light. These times of year are either fall or spring, depending on which season came before. For instance, if the Northern hemisphere was recently tilted toward the sun, which would be Summer, and then continued to revolved until it was getting equal light with the Southern Hemisphere, it would then be Fall, because Fall comes directly after Summer.
Now, there are special names for the days of the year that get the most, the least and absolutely equal sunlight and darkness. Days on which daylight or darkness are their longest are called Solstices. These happen during Summer and Winter. During Summer, a hemisphere experiences a day where sunlight lasts longer than any other day. This is the Summer Solstice. During Winter, a hemisphere will experience a day where the sunlight lasts a shorter amount of time than any other day. This is called the Winter Solstice. The days that get absolutely equal amounts of sunlight and darkness, each 12 hours long, are called Equinoxes. There is a Fall Equinox and a Spring Equinox, both with periods of sunlight and darkness that are 12 hours long each.