Earth's axis is always tilted at an angle of ___________ from the vertical.
23.5*
Near the poles, sunlight arrives at a steep angle, so it is spread out over a (GREATER/LESSER) area.
Greater
What is the movement of one object around another called?
Revolution
What is the shortest day of the year in the northern hemisphere?
Winter solstice
What shape is Earth's orbit?
An ellipse (A slightly elongated circle/oval)
What is one revolution around the sun called?
A year
Why does Earth have seasons?
Its axis is tilted as it revolves around the sun.
When the southern hemisphere is tilted toward the sun, what season do we experience (in the northern hemisphere)?
Winter
What is the longest day of the year in the northern hemisphere?
Summer solstice
Where does the sun hit the Earth from almost overhead?
Near the equator
What happens halfway between the summer and winter solstices?
Equinox
During what month is Earth closest to the sun?
January
Earth spins on its axis. This is called _____________.
Rotation
When the northern hemisphere is tilted toward the sun, what season do we experience?
Summer
What type of calendar do we use now?
Gregorian
What movement causes day and night?
Rotation of Earth
What is an orbit?
The path that Earth (or another object) follows around the sun
What is a calendar?
A system of organizing time that defines the beginning, length, and divisions of a year.
On two days a year, neither hemisphere is tilted toward the sun. What do we call these days?
Equinoxes
What do we call the day that the sun is either farthest north or farthest south of the equator?
Solstice
What is the imaginary line that passes through Earth's center and the North and South poles?
Axis
What are two ways that Earth moves in space?
Rotation and revolution