Seasons Flashcards
An imaginary line around which a planet spins. On Earth, the two ends of the axis mark Earth’s North and South poles.
Axis
Northernmost point of Earth’s axis.
North Pole
Southernmost point of Earth’s axis.
South Pole
The 0° line of latitude that equally divides Earth into Northern & Southern hemispheres.
Equator
All areas of the Earth that are North of the equator
Northern Hemisphere
All areas of the Earth that are South of the equator.
Southern Hemisphere
A measure of degrees, North to South, on the globe.
Lines of Latitude
The southern extremity of the polar day (24h sunlit day – Jun21) and polar night (24h sunless night – Dec21), located at a latitude of 66.5° N. Think about it: If you’re standing on the North Pole, the only direction you can move is south in order to reach the Arctic Circle.
Arctic Circle
The northern extremity of the polar day (24h sunlit day – Dec21) and polar night (24h sunless night – Jun21), located at a latitude of 66.5° S. Think about it: If you’re standing on the South Pole, the only direction you can move is north in order to reach the Antarctic Circle.
Antarctic Circle
The northernmost point the sun can ever appear directly overhead at noon, located at a latitude of 23.5° N.
Tropic of Cancer
The southernmost point the sun can ever appear directly overhead at noon, located at a latitude of 23.5° S.
Tropic of Capricorn
An oval shape. The shape of all planetary orbits. Some orbits are highly elliptical (Pluto) while others are nearly circular (Earth).
Ellipse
A line on Earth (or any celestial body) that divides daylight and darkness (always changing as the Earth rotates).
Terminator Line
One revolution of the Earth around the sun (365.25d).
Year
A year containing one extra day to make up for the extra .25d each revolution. Used in order to keep the calendar months in synch with the seasons.
Leap Year
One of four equal divisions of the year that depend on the times at which direct sunlight hits specific locations on Earth.
Season
Light that hits the surface of the Earth at a slant (something other than a 90° angle); more spread out; not as hot.
Indirect Light
One of two times of the year during which all areas of Earth receive equal hours of daylight and darkness.
Equinox
The first day of spring (21MAR in Northern hemisphere)
Vernal Equinox
The first day of fall (21SEP in Northern hemisphere)
Autumnal Equinox
One of two times of the year during which different areas of Earth receive either their longest or shortest hours of daylight.
Solstice
The first day of summer (21JUN in Northern hemisphere)
Summer Solstice
The first day of winter (21DEC in Northern hemisphere)
Winter Solstice
The 24 hours of daylight that occur within the Arctic and Antarctic Circles.
Polar Day
The 24 hours of darkness that occur within the Arctic and Antarctic Circles
Polar Night
Spinning on an axis.
Rotation
One object orbiting around another
Revolve
What is Day, Daytime, Nightime? How do we have these events? And Why?
Day
Daytime
Nighttime
