Equinoxes and Solstices [notes with appearing animations]

• Equinoxes and solstices are a result of Earth’s tilt ......
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• .......and its orbit around the Sun.
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• Earth spins once a day .........
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• .........on its axis of rotation,
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• ........an imaginary line running through the North and South Poles
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• The spinning Earth orbits the Sun once a year.
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• Earth’s axis of rotation is tilted by about 23.4 degrees.
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• Earth’s tilt remains the same throughout the year.
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• The North Pole always points toward the star Polaris.
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• While the South Pole points toward Polaris Australis in the Southern Cross.
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• For six months of the year, the North Pole is tilted toward the Sun.
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• For the other six months, the South Pole is tilted toward the Sun.
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• On two occasions each year neither pole points toward the Sun and is over the Equator.
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• The Sun lies directly above Earth’s equator. These moments are the equinoxes.
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• In the Northern Hemisphere, the March equinox is known as the spring or vernal equinox
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• The September equinox can be called the fall or autumnal equinox.
• In the Southern Hemisphere, the names are the other way around.
• On the date of the equinox, at any location, the lengths of day and night are roughly equal.
• The farthest points from the equator where the Sun can appear directly overhead are referred to as the tropics.
• The tropics are lines of latitude that circle the Earth above and below the equator
• There are two moments each year when one of Earth’s poles is tilted the most toward the Sun
• the Sun lies directly above one of the tropics. These moments are the solstices.
• The June solstice takes place sometime between June 20 and 22,
• when the Sun is directly above the Tropic of Cancer in the Northern Hemisphere.
• The December solstice happens sometime between December 20 and 23,
• when the Sun is directly over the Tropic of Capricorn in the Southern Hemisphere.
• In the Northern Hemisphere, the June solstice and December solstice can be referred to as the summer solstice and winter solstice.
• In the Southern Hemisphere, June is winter and December is summer.
• On the date of the summer solstice, all locations in that hemisphere experience their longest days and shortest nights.
• The winter solstice produces the shortest days and longest nights.
• Let's recap what we have covered............
  If you got all the answers correct WELL DONE!!