LESSON 1: Day & Night and Seasons

OBJECTIVES:

 State the occurrence of day and night.

 Identify the different types of seasons.

Pre Test

Direction: Encircle the letter of the correct answer.

1. What causes cycle of day and night?

A. The Earth rotates on its axis as it orbits the Sun

B. The Earth orbits the Sun

C. The Earth has its axis

D. The Earth is bigger than the Mercury

2. It takes place between June 20th and 22nd in the northern hemisphere also known as.

A. Summer solstice

B. Winter solstice

C. Autumn solstice

D. Spring solstice

3. It occurs at the same time but in reverse – between Dec. 20th and 23rd for the northern
hemisphere also known as.

A. Summer solstice

B. Winter solstice

C. Autumn solstice

D. Spring solstice

4. When the northern axis points outward to Polaris it is called:

A. The South Star

 B. The North Star

C. The West Star

D. The East Star

5. When the Sun is at its mid-point in the sky, what season occurs?

A. Summer equinox

B. Winter equinox

C. Spring equinox

D. Autumn equinox

Day and Night

What Causes Day and Night?

For most of here on planet Earth, sunrise, sunset, and the cycle of day and night (aka. the
diurnal cycle) are just simple facts of life. As a result of seasonal changes that happen with
every passing year, the length of day and night can vary – and be either longer or shorter – by
just a few hours. But in some regions of the world (i.e. the poles) the Sun does not set during
certain times of the year. And there are also seasonal periods where a single night can last
many days.

Naturally, this gives rise to certain questions. Namely, what causes the cycle of day and night,
and why don’t all places on the planet experience the same patterns? As with many other
seasonal experiences, the answer has to do with two facts: One, the Earth rotates on its axis as
it orbits the Sun. And two, the fact that Earth’s axis is tilted.

Earth’s Rotation

Earth’s rotation occurs from west to east, which is why the Sun always appears to be rising on
the eastern horizon and setting on the western. If you could view the Earth from above, looking
down at the northern polar region, the planet would appear to be rotating counter-clockwise.
However, viewed from the southern polar region, it appears to be rotating clockwise.
Figure 1.Earth’s axial tilt and its relation to the rotation axis and plane of orbit as viewed from
the Sun during the Northward equinox.

The Earth rotates once in about 24 hours with respect to the Sun and once every 23 hours 56
minutes and 4 seconds with respect to the stars. What’s more, its central axis is aligned with
two stars. The northern axis points outward to Polaris, hence why it is called “the North Star”,
while its southern axis points to Sigma Octants.

Axial Tilt

As already noted, due to the Earth’s axial tilt (or obliquity), day and night are not evenly
divided. If the Earth’s axis were perpendicular to its orbital plane around the Sun, all places on
Earth would experience equal amounts of day and night (i.e. 12 hours of day and night,
respectively) every day during the year and there would be no seasonal variability.

Instead, at any given time of the year, one hemisphere is pointed slightly more towards the
Sun, leaving the other pointed away. During this time, one hemisphere will be experiencing
warmer temperatures and longer days while the other will experience colder temperatures and
longer nights.

Activity 1. Day and Night

1. Why do we have day and night?

2. How long does it take the Earth to turn around?

3. Why is the Sun in the sky at some times and not at other times?

4. Why does the sun seem to move across the sky?

 Seasons

Seasonal Changes

Of course, since the Earth is rotating around the Sun and not just on its axis, this process is
reversed during the course of a year. Every six months, the Sun undergoes a half orbit and
changes positions to the other side of the Sun, allowing the other hemisphere to experience
longer days and warmer temperatures.

Figure 2.Earth’s rotation and the precession of the Equinoxes.

Consequently, in extreme places like the North and South Pole, daylight or nighttime can last
for days. Those times of the year when the northern and southern hemispheres experience
their longest days and nights are called solstices, which occur twice a year for the northern and
southern hemispheres.

The Summer Solstice takes place between June 20th and 22nd in the northern hemisphere and
between December 20th and 23rd each year in the southern hemisphere. The Winter Solstice
occurs at the same time but in reverse – between Dec. 20th and 23rd for the northern
hemisphere and June 20th and 22nd for the southern hemisphere.

According to NOAA, around the Winter Solstice at the North Pole there will be no sunlight or
even twilight beginning in early October, and the darkness lasts until the beginning of dawn in
early March. Conversely, around the Summer Solstice, the North Pole stays in full sunlight all
day long throughout the entire summer (unless there are clouds). After the Summer Solstice,
the sun starts to sink towards the horizon.

THE NORTH POLE TILTS TOWARDS THE SUN

  It is
Summer time in countries in the Northern Hemisphere.
 It is winter time in countries in the Southern Hemisphere.

THE NORTH POLE TILTS AWAY FROM THE SUN

 It is winter time in countries in the Northern Hemisphere.

 It is Summer time in countries in the Southern Hemisphere.

Autumn

The North Pole begins to move away from the Sun. The Sun rises lower in the sky so the days
start getting shorter. When the Sun is at its mid-point in the sky, we reach the 'autumn
equinox', around 22 September. Day and night are both 12 hours long and it’s the beginning of
autumn.

Spring

The Earth continues on its path, and our north pole starts moving towards the Sun again. The
Sun moves upwards in our skies and the days continue getting longer. Again, we reach a
midpoint when day and night are both 12 hours long. This is called the 'vernal (or spring)
equinox' and happens around 21 March.
Summer

During the summer, the sun's rays hit the Earth at a steep angle because the sun is higher in the
sky. The light does not spread out very much, thus increasing the amount of energy hitting any
given spot. The long daylight hours during the summer months allow the Earth plenty of time to
reach warm temperatures. This is why the days are hotter in the summer months.

Because the sun is higher in the sky our shadows are shorter than they are in the other three
seasons.

Winter

During the winter, the sun's rays hit the Earth at a shallow angle because the sun is lower in the
sky. These rays are more spread out, which minimizes the amount of energy that hits any given
spot. The long nights and short days prevent the Earth from warming up. This is why we have
cold winters.

Another common feature in the cycle of day and night is the visibility of the Moon, the stars,
and other celestial bodies. Technically, we don’t always see the Moon at night. On certain days,
when the Moon is well-positioned between the Earth and the Sun, it is visible during the
daytime. However, the stars and other planets of our Solar System are only visible at night after
the Sun has fully set.

Figure 3. “Night
Sky”. On a clear night, the stars and the glowing band of the Milky Way Galaxy are generally
visible.

The reason for this is because the light of these objects is too faint to be seen during daylight
hours. The Sun, being the closest star to us and the most radiant object visible from Earth,
naturally obscures them when it is overhead. However, with the Earth tilted away from the Sun,
we are able to see the Moon radiating the Sun’s light more clearly, and the stars light is
detectable.

On an especially clear night, and assuming light pollution is not a major factor, the glowing band
of the Milky Way and other clouds of dust and gas may also be visible in the night sky. These
objects are more distant than the stars in our vicinity of the Galaxy, and therefore have less
luminosity and are more difficult to see.

Another interesting thing about the cycle of day and night is that it is getting slower with time.
This is due to the tidal effects the Moon has on Earth’s rotation, which is making days longer
(but only marginally). According to atomic clocks around the world, the modern day is about 1.7
milliseconds longer than it was a century ago – a change which may require the addition of
more leap seconds in the future.

Activity 1.1. Seasons

Direction: Fill in the blanks.

Description Summer Winter

Meaning

When does it occur

Sun Rays (Angle)

What activities done?

What to wear?

Post Test:

Direction: Encircle the letter of the correct answer.

REFERENCES

WEBSITES

http://What causes Day and Night - Universe Today.htm

http://Day and Night time and the Seasons.htm

http://Why is there day and night.htm

http://What causes the seasons.NASA Space Place.htm

http://What causes the seasons.htm

http://Why do we have Seasons.htm

KEY TO CORRECTION

Pre Test

Activity 1. Day and Night

1. We have day and night because the Earth rotates. It spins on its axis, which is an imaginary
line passing through the North and South Poles. The Earth spins slowly all the time, but we
don't feel any movement because it turns smoothly and at the same speed.

2. The Earth takes a whole day (24 hours) to make a complete turn.

3. At any time half of the Earth faces the sun. This part has day. The other half of the Earth faces
away from the Sun. It receives no light. It is dark and has night. The sun is the source of light for
day.

4. The Sun does not move. It seems to move across the sky starting in the east in the morning,
moving toward the south at noon, and then toward the west as the day ends. It is the Earth
turning that makes it seem as though the Sun is moving.

Activity 1.1. Seasons

Description Summer Winter

Meaning The warmest season of the The coldest season of the
year. year.
When does it occur June 20th and 22nd in the Between Dec. 20th and 23rd
northern hemisphere and for the northern hemisphere
between December 20th and and June 20th and 22nd for
23rd each year in the the southern hemisphere.
southern hemisphere.
Sun Rays (Angle) The sun's rays hit the Earth at The sun's rays hit the Earth at
a steep angle because the sun a shallow angle because the
is higher in the sky. sun is lower in the sky.
What activities done? Beach swimming, Travelling Snowball fight, Coffee Breaks
What to wear? Casual clothes, Sleeveless Jackets, Boots

Post Test