Seasons & The Lunar Cycle

Astronomy Review

1. On the diagram to the right, label the following positions where the Earth is located in its orbit around the Sun:

a. Fall, winter, spring, summer (Northern Hemisphere)

b. The approximate dates for these locations.

c. What season is the Earth is orbiting the Sun: (F) Faster

(S) Slower Sun

(P) Perihelion

(A) Aphelion

Earth's Orbit

2. Bob says, "The seasons are a quarter of an orbit", Suzy says, "The seasons are a quarter of a year." Who's right? How do you convince the other they are wrong?

3. Then, Bob says, The Earth is closer to the sun in the summer which explains why the Earth is warmer." Suzy says, "If that is true, then why does the Southern Hemisphere have winter when we have summer? Aren't they closer to the sun too?" Please settle this argument.

4. The latitude of Dallas, TX is 33o N. What is the altitude of the sun during:

Winter Solstice

Summer Solstice

5. Guam is a territory of the United States located in the Western Pacific Ocean at a latitude of 13o N. What is the altitude of the sun on the summer solstice?

6. It is 1:00 pm on Wednesday in Providence. What day and time is it in the following locations?

Location

Latitude

Longitude

Time

Day

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

3o 08' N

101o 42' E

Anchorage, Alaska

61o 13' N

149o 54' W

7. What can be said about the number of daylight hours for any latitude at the equinoxes?

8. During the summer months, what can be said about the number of daylight hours a location experiences as the latitude increases (farther north)?

9. Providence receives 15 hours of daylight near the summer solstice. How many hours of daylight does Providence receive near the winter solstice?

10. What determines if a location will experience a polar day or night? When do these locations experience a polar day and when do they experience a polar night?

11. What determines if a location will experience the sun directly overhead at some point during the year?

14. The International Space Station is located at an altitude 300 km above the Earth's surface. For a common classroom globe with a circumference of 97.0 cm, how far above the globe would the ISS be located?

15. On the first day of winter in Anchorage, Alaska, in what direction does the sun rise?

17. Suppose you observe the sun to be 71 degrees above the horizon at noon at the summer solstice. What would your latitude be?

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