Day and Night - Seasons Flashcards

Study Notes

Key Concepts in Astronomy

Orbit: The pathway an object follows while revolving around another, crucial for understanding planetary movements.
Rotate: Describes the action of spinning around an axis, significantly impacting day and night cycles.
Revolve: Refers to the motion of an object traveling around a central entity, essential for the Earth's relationship with the sun.
Axis: An imaginary line through the Earth from pole to pole, fundamental to understanding Earth's rotation and tilt.

Earth's Movements and Seasons

Causes of Seasons: Results from the Earth's axial tilt and its revolution around the sun, creating variations in light and temperature throughout the year.
Earth's Motion:
- Rotation on Axis: A full rotation takes 24 hours, leading to the day-night cycle.
- Revolution around the Sun: It takes 365 days for the Earth to complete one orbit, defining a year.
Day and Night: Caused by Earth's rotation, with daylight occurring on the sunlit side and nighttime on the opposite side.

Lunar Phases and Time Measurement

Monthly Cycle: The moon orbits the Earth approximately every 29.5 days, contributing to the concept of months.
Seasonal Changes:
- During the northern hemisphere's summer, the Earth is tilted toward the sun, resulting in increased light and heat.

Definitions of Key Terms

Phase: Represents a segment of a cycle, important for understanding lunar phases and seasonal changes.
Cycle: A repeating pattern observed in natural phenomena, such as lunar phases and seasonal shifts.
Waxing: Indicates the increase in size or brightness of the moon, moving from new to full phase.
Waning: Refers to the decrease in size or brightness of the moon, transitioning from full to new phase.

Description

Test your knowledge about the concepts of day, night, and the seasons with these flashcards. Learn key terms like orbit, rotate, and axis, which are essential to understanding the Earth's movements and how they affect our seasons.