Earth's Seasons and Orbital Mechanics

Front

How long does it take for Earth to revolve around the Sun?

Back

365 days

Front

What does eccentricity mean in the context of orbits?

Back

Eccentricity refers to how dramatic the ellipse shape of a planet's orbit is; it indicates how far away from a perfect circle something is.

Front

If an ellipse is really narrow or almost a straight line, this ellipse is...

Back

very eccentric.

Front

What is rotation?

Back

Rotation is the time it takes for Earth to spin around 1 time, which takes 24 hours.

Front

What is nutation?

Back

Nutation is the wobbling of Earth's axis.

Front

What is revolution?

Back

Revolution is the time it takes for Earth to travel around the Sun, which takes 365 days.

Front

What is the shape of Earth's orbit around the Sun?

Back

Earth's orbit is an ellipse.

Front

What is precession?

Back

Precession is the gradual shift in the orientation of Earth's axis of rotation.

Front

What is the difference between rotation and revolution?

Back

Rotation refers to Earth's spinning on its axis (24 hours), while revolution refers to Earth's orbit around the Sun (365 days).

Front

What causes the seasons on Earth?

Back

The tilt of Earth's axis and its orbit around the Sun cause the seasons.