Earth's Unique Role in Space

Learning target

I can explain how seasons, tides, eclipses happen

First, quick review!

• Earth spins or ROTATES on its axis, causing day and night (24 hours).

• Earth REVOLVES around our star, the Sun (1 year).

• Because Earth's axis is also tilted 23.5 degrees, the revolution creates seasons due to the uneven heating of the Earth.

Summer Northern Hemisphere

• The northern hemisphere is tilted toward the Sun. 

• Most direct sunlight (focused)

• Longer days and shorter nights. 

• North pole: constant daylight South pole: constant night. 

• While the north has summer, the Southern hemisphere has winter.

Multiple Choice

At point X:

Is it day, or night?

• Day

• Night

Multiple Choice

At point X:

Is it in the Southern or Northern hemisphere?

• Southern

• Northern

Multiple Choice

At point X:

Is it winter or summer?

• Winter

• Summer

Multiple Choice

At point X:

Is the day length-

greater than/equal to/less than night?

• Greater than...

• Equal to...

• Less than...

Fall Northern Hemisphere

• The axis is not pointed towards or away from the Sun. 

• Equal sunlight in both hemispheres 

• Equal length days and nights at the equator

• While the north has fall, the Southern hemisphere has spring.

Winter Northern Hemisphere

• The northern hemisphere is tilted away from the Sun. 

• Most indirect sunlight

• Shorter days and longer nights

• North pole: constant night, but South pole: constant daylight 

• While the north has winter, the Southern hemisphere has summer.

Multiple Choice

At point X:

Is it day, or night?

• Day

• Night

Multiple Choice

At point X:

Is it in the Southern or Northern hemisphere?

• Northern

• Southern

Multiple Choice

At point X:

Is it winter or summer?

• Winter

• Summer

Multiple Choice

At point X:

Is the day length-

greater than/equal to/less than night?

• Greater than...

• Equal to...

• Less than...

Spring Northern Hemisphere

• The axis is not pointed towards or away from the Sun. 

• Equal sunlight in both hemispheres 

• Equal length days (12 hours) and nights (12 hours) at the equator

• While the north has spring, the Southern hemisphere has fall.

Solstices

• The longest or shortest days of the year (💡 sol=>sun)

• The Sun reaches its highest or lowest point in the sky at noon.

• NH: Summer Solstice – June 21st

• NH: Solstice – December 21st

• Southern hemisphere has same solstice dates, but switched; (summer, longest day Dec. 31).

Equinoxes

• Day and night are equal at the equator (💡:eq=>equator=>equal)

• The Vernal equinox – about March 20th

• The autumnal equinox – about September 22nd

• Since the light is equal on both hemispheres, only the names are switched between the southern and northern hemispheres.

Multiple Choice

At point X:

Is it day, or night?

• Day

• Night

Multiple Choice

At point X:

Is it in the Southern or Northern hemisphere?

• Northern

• Southern

Multiple Choice

At point X:

Is it winter or summer?

• Winter

• Summer

Multiple Choice

At point X:

Is the day length-

greater than/equal to/less than night?

• Greater than...

• Equal to...

• Less than...

Multiple Choice

At point X:

Is it day, or night?

• Day

• Night

Multiple Choice

At point X:

Is it in the Southern or Northern hemisphere?

• Northern

• Southern

Multiple Choice

At point X:

Is it winter or summer?

• Winter

• Summer

Multiple Choice

At point X:

Is the day length-

greater than/equal to/less than night?

• Greater than...

• Equal to...

• Less than...

Multiple Choice

At point X:

Is it day, or night?

• Day

• Night

Multiple Choice

At point X:

Is it in the Southern or Northern hemisphere?

• Northern

• Southern

Multiple Choice

At point X:

Is it winter or summer?

• Winter

• Summer

Multiple Choice

At point X:

Is the day length-

greater than/equal to/less than night?

• Greater than...

• Equal to...

• Less than...

Multiple Choice

Michelle is going on vacation in a location on the globe that is currently experiencing summer and daylight, according to the model. Which location is she visiting?

• Location A

• Location B

• Location C

• Location D

Multiple Choice

The 24 hour cycle of day and night on Earth is due to:

• The revolution of Earth around the Sun

• the 23.5 degree tilt of Earth's axis

• The movement of the Sun

• The rotation of Earth about its axis

Multiple Choice

Mars' axis is tilted at an angle of 25 degrees. As a result, you could infer that Mars has...

• A day length that is equal to Earth's day length

• The same length of day and night during a Martian year.

• Seasons in both its Northern and Southern hemispheres.

• A longer time to revolve around the Sun than Earth does.

Multiple Choice

For a solar eclipse to occur, the alignment must be

• earth, moon, sun

• sun, moon , earth

• sun, earth , moon

Multiple Choice

. What determines whether a lunar eclipse will be a partial eclipse or a full eclipse?

• Only the portion of the Moon that passes through the penumbra is in the full eclipse.

• The tilt of Earth on its axis determines the extent of the eclipse

• The portion of the Moon that passes through Earth’s umbra determines whether an eclipse will be partial or full.

• Each pass of the Moon around Earth determines how the next eclipse will be seen.

Multiple Choice

What causes us to see the different moon phases from Earth? *

• the tilt of the Earth

• Earth's rotation on its axis

• moon's rotation on its axis

• moon's revolution around Earth

Multiple Choice

During which two lunar phases do Spring Tides occur?

• New Quarter & First quarter

• First Quarter & New Moon

• Full Moon & New Moon

• Full Moon & Third quarter

Multiple Choice

During which two lunar phases do Neap Tides occur?

• First Quarter & Third quarter

• First Quarter & New Moon

• Full Moon & New Moon

• Full Moon & Third quarter