![]() Revolution is, in a sense, a larger motion. It takes 365 and ¼ days for the Earth to make one complete trip around the Sun, which, we define as a year. While busy in turning daily circles, the Earth is also traveling around the Sun, which is known as Earth’s orbit. Areas around the latitudes of the Arctic Circle etc receive lesser sunlight. The tilt leads to some areas around latitudes like the Equator and the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn to receive more sunlight. And this tilting of the axis causes a difference in the amount and kind of sunlight Earth receives over its entire surface area. This axis is not straight, it’s inclined at 23.5 degrees. ![]() The Earth’s axis is an imaginary line that runs between the north and south poles. One rotation is completed in 24 hours, which is one day for us.īut, here’s the interesting part – the inclination (angle or slant) of the Earth’s axis is important to understand. It is believed that the rotation is caused by the Earth’s magnetic field. The Earth rotates around its axis, spinning like a top. The Earth moves in two ways – rotation and revolving – here’s what the two mean Rotation Similarly, the equinoxes and solstices are dependent on the Earth’s revolution around the sun. Have you ever thought if we have a signal for the change in seasons? To understand all this, one needs to understand the Earth’s orbit and how it functions. Have you ever wondered why is there more daylight in summer than in winter? You would have seen a lot of different kinds of seasons in a year – have you ever thought about why seasons change? The equinoxes happen twice a year– once on 21 March and once on 23 September. The Equinox – either of the two times in a year when the Sun is right above the Equator and day and night are of equal length. This is marked by the longest and shortest days in the year (about 21 June and 22 December). The Solstice – either of the two times in a year when the Sun’s path is as far north or as far south from the Earth’s Equator. What’s the difference between a Solstice and an Equinox? ![]() Both are periodic solar events that happen on the same date every year. You’ll see that the difference lies in their very definitions. The spring will last until the summer solstice, which occurs on June 20 or June 21 in the Northern Hemisphere and December 21 or December 22 in the Southern Hemisphere.Written by Saanchi Biyani, a grade 5 student.įirst, here’s what they both mean – and you’ll see the difference. ![]() The vernal equinox happens in the Northern Hemisphere around March 20 or March 21, whereas in the Southern Hemisphere is occurs around September 22 or September 23. Over the next three months, the sun will move higher and higher in the sky, resulting in longer periods of daylight. The word "equinox", literally means "equal night", as it derives from the Latin "aequus" (equal) and "nox" (night). In this case, the Earth's axis isn't tilted towards or away from the sun, meaning there are 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of darkness all over the planet. The vernal equinox happens when the Earth's axis reaches a particular position and the centre of the sun is directly above the Equator, meaning that both day and night are of approximately equal length. ![]() Spring 2022 has finally arrived, and will be marked by the vernal equinox, which takes place on this Sunday, March 20. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |