Solar Energy and a Spherical Earth Chapter 14.1 ► Characteristics of Earth: 1.Spherical 2.Rotating 3.Orbiting ► These characteristics affect the amount of solar radiation absorbed by different regions.

Basic Ideas ► The Earth orbits the Sun in one year ► The Earth spins around once each day ► The Moon orbits the Earth about once a month

ce/terc/content/visualizations/es2503/es2503 page01.cfm?chapter_no=visualization ce/terc/content/visualizations/es2503/es2503 page01.cfm?chapter_no=visualization ► ne.com/books/earth _science/terc/conte nt/visualizations/es0 403/es0403page01. cfm?chapter_no=vis ualization ne.com/books/earth _science/terc/conte nt/visualizations/es0 403/es0403page01. cfm?chapter_no=vis ualization ne.com/books/earth _science/terc/conte nt/visualizations/es0 403/es0403page01. cfm?chapter_no=vis ualization ► ne.com/books/earth _science/terc/conte nt/visualizations/es0 408/es0408page01. cfm?chapter_no=vis ualization ne.com/books/earth _science/terc/conte nt/visualizations/es0 408/es0408page01. cfm?chapter_no=vis ualization

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Latitude vs. Longitude ► Longitude lines: 1. Run North to South 2. Are all the same length 3. Are longer than any line of latitude 4. Measures distance East or West from the PRIME MERIDIAN ( )

Latitude vs. Longitude ► Latitude lines: 1. Run from East to West 2. Are parallel to each other 3. Measure distances North and South of the Equator ( ) 4. The Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn (23.5°) and the Arctic and Antarctic Circles are other notable lines of latitude

How did the lines of latitude get special names? science/terc/conten t/visualizations/es0 404/es0404page01. cfm?chapter_no=vi sualization

How does the spherical shape of Earth influence the climate of different regions? ► A beam of sunlight that strikes the equator is perpendicular to Earth’s surface ► Earth’s surface absorbs the maximum amount of energy from the Sun at the equator ► Energy reaching a region at a higher or lower latitude is spread over a larger area ► Therefore the Earth’s surface in this region absorbs less energy than at the equator

Why doesn’t the temperature throughout the world stay the same all year? ► Orbit Earth is rotating on its axis (365 times for every trip) while it rotates around the sun ► Orientation Earth’s axis is tilted relative to the plane of its orbit

Seasons …

Why does the Earth have Seasons ?

Why does the Earth have seasons?

Day vs Night ► ► At the equator the length of “day” is approximately the same all year long   12 hours of daylight / 12 hrs of darkness ► ► At the north/south poles, the period of daylight changes from winter to summer and back again   Winter in the north has darkness for almost 24 hrs   Summer in the north has light for almost 24 hrs   The opposite season/daylength exists at the south pole ► ► For areas in between, the period of daylight changes throughout the year  getting longer as summer is approached/getting shorter as winter is approached ► ► This is due to the tilt of the Earth on its axis and the Earth’s position relative to the sun

A scene you will probably never get to see in person. This is the sunset at the North Pole with the Moon at its closest point. An amazing photo!