Rotation, Revolution and TiltEarth moves in 2 major ways, rotation and revolution. The line of axis connects the earth's geographic poles which are located on the opposite end. The spinning of the earth on its axis is called rotation. Rotation causes day and night and as earth rotates from west to east sun appears to move from east to west.
When the Earth travels around the sun, it is called revolution. Revolution is the movement of one body space around another. Scientists use lines of latitude to mark out three different types of regions within which temperature are generally similar: the tropic, temperate, and polar zone. Between the latitude of 23.5 south and north is the tropical zone, this region gets the most heat. From 23.5 to 66.5 (north,south) are the temperate zone. Latitude over 66.5 north and south is the polar zone (North pole and South pole). Earths axis is tilted in an angle of 23.5 degrees in relation to the axis. The Earth's seasons are caused by the tilt of Earth’s axis as it moves around the sun. |
Solstice and EquinoxSeasons are caused by the rotation, revolution and the tilt of the Earth, which gives different amount of heat to different areas. Areas closer to the sun gets more heat than the area that is further away.
Solstice occurs on the two days each year when the sun is directly overhead at a latitude of 23.5 north and south. The summer solstice occurs in the northern hemisphere at June 21st . Northern hemisphere receives more and long amount of sunlight than the southern hemisphere. In December 21st the winter solstice occurs which gives the opposite effect to the north. Between the solstice there is an equinox and during it the earth’s neither hemisphere is tilted tilted towards the sun which means north and south is equal. The vernal equinox occurs around March 21st and the autumnal equinox occurs on September 22nd. |