Season Vocabulary Seasons – A pattern of temperature changes & other weather trends over a year.

Season Vocabulary Equator – Imaginary line which separates the Northern from the Southern Hemisphere Earth rotates around an imaginary line running through its center called an axis of rotation. The ends of the axis are the north and south poles. Earth turns/rotates on its axis once in 24 hours.

Season Vocabulary The side of the Earth in the sunlight is called daytime. The side of the Earth in the darkness is nighttime. Earth’s rotation is reason for day & night The Earth is tilted at about a 23 ½ degree angle from its orbit around the Sun. Earth’s tilted axis and orbit cause seasons

Season Vocabulary A revolution is the motion of one object around another once. It takes one year for Earth to make one revolution around the Sun or 365 ¼ days. Leap year every 4 years – add up ¼ days Earth travels in an elliptical orbit around the sun. It resembles an elongated oval-shape. Out of all the planets, Earth’s orbit is the closest to a perfect circle. Earth is the 3rd planet from the sun.

Season Vocabulary Solstice – Period of time when one hemisphere gets its maximum area of sunlight, while the other hemisphere gets its minimum amount; the time of year when days are either longest or shortest and the angle of sunlight reaches its maximum or minimum. Winter & Summer – usually 21st of December and June Earth is closest to the sun in December but Northern Hemisphere is tilted away – winter solstice – colder temperatures/shorter days Earth is furthest from the sun in June but Northern Hemisphere is tilted toward the sun – hotter temps./longer days – summer solstice

Season Vocabulary Equinox – Period of time in an orbit in which sunlight shines equally on the Northern Hemisphere and the Southern Hemisphere; a time of year when daylight and darkness are nearly equal for most of the Earth. (Happens twice a year). Spring & Fall or March & September Equinox means literally – “equal night”

Season Vocabulary The seasons are the result of the tilt of the axis of the Earth – Not the distance of the Earth from the Sun!

Season Vocabulary Together the tilt and the angle of sunlight are the reason for seasons!