Rotation, Revolution, Tilt

Rotation – The Earth Spins on an Axis that runs through the North and South Poles.

The Result of this rotation is as clear as Night and Day. In Fact, the result is Night and Day.

The Earth rotates, or spins, from West to East and this is why we see the sun rise in the East and set in the West.

Revolution – The Earth revolves around the Sun.

It makes one complete revolution every days. Our 365 day year is based on the revolution of the Earth around the Sun.

Because of the.25 day difference, every fourth year we include an extra day in February (Feb. 29). We call this Leap Year.

Tilt The Earth’s Axis is not perpendicular to the Sun’s Rays. If it were, every day would have as many hours of daylight as darkness. You may have noticed that this is not the case.

The Earth’s Axis is tilted 23.5*.

Solar Energy

Rotation, Revolution, and Tilt all work together to determine the amount of Solar Energy that is reaching a spot on Earth at any given time.

Night & Day - The First, and most obvious, way that the amount of Solar Energy is varied is Night and Day.

The Sun’s Rays can only hit half of the Earth at once. Therefore, as the Earth Rotates, the area facing the Sun experiences Daylight while the area facing away from the Earth experiences night. night day

Seasons – As the Earth Revolves around the Sun, its Tilt causes some areas to receive more direct sunlight than others.

The Direct rays of the Sun migrate between 23.5* N (the Tropic of Cancer) and 23.5*S (the Tropic of Capricorn) over the course of a year. As the Sun’s direct rays move, the Seasons are caused to change.

When the Sun’s rays are directed towards the Southern Hemisphere, it is Summer in the South Latitudes while the Northern Hemisphere experiences Winter.

Weather & Climate – All changes in weather are the result of variations of heating from Solar Energy hitting the Earth’s surface.

It is Solar Energy that causes the winds to blow and the Ocean Currents to move. Solar Energy causes the rain and even the snow.

Earth, Sun, and the Moon

The Sun and the Moon both have a gravitational pull on the Earth. We see the effects of this in the ocean’s Tides.

The Daily tides arrive twice: when the Moon is overhead and again when the Moon is overhead on the opposite side of the Earth.

The Neap Tides are low tides that occur when the Sun’s pull is countered by the Moon’s gravitational pull. Neap Tides

Spring Tides – Spring Tides are extraordinarily large tides. These occur when the Sun and Moon are aligned pulling together against the Earth. Spring Tides

This concludes today’s episode of…