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

2. 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

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

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

8. How did the lines of latitude get special names?

9. 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

10. 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

11. Seasons…

12. Why does the Earth have Seasons?

15. Why does the Earth have seasons?

17. 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

18. A scene you will probably never get to see in person
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!