andieje
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why does the sun appear lower in the sky in winter
Hello
why does the sun appear lower in the sky in winter? I can see from this diagram that the angle at which the sunlight hits the earth changes because of the tilt of the earth, and this makes the days hotter/colder in summer/winter but I can't visualise why the tilt of the earth changes how high/low the sun appears in the sky
http://www.science-resources.co.uk/KS3/Physics/Earth_and_Beyond/Earth_Seasons.htm
thanks
why does the sun appear lower in the sky in winter? I can see from this diagram that the angle at which the sunlight hits the earth changes because of the tilt of the earth, and this makes the days hotter/colder in summer/winter but I can't visualise why the tilt of the earth changes how high/low the sun appears in the sky
http://www.science-resources.co.uk/KS3/Physics/Earth_and_Beyond/Earth_Seasons.htm
thanks
The sun will hang lower in the sky on winter months when compared to the summer. This is because the Earth's axis is tilted 23.5 degrees from the vertical toward a distant star called Polaris. It results in fewer daylight hours and cooler temperatures.
Find a globe of the Earth that's mounted on a tilt similar to the Earth's tilt relative to the Sun. Use a beachball or soccer ball or any ball if necessary. Just make sure you mark north/south poles and can maintain a tilt of the ball relative to the ground. A mounted globe is best because it will maintain its tilt while spinning freely.
With whatever spherical object you use, a flashlight can be used to emulate the 'Sun in the sky'. The flashlight should shine its light parallel to the ground as it shines on your "earth". The tilt of your "earth" should clearly show how the light from your "sun" hits the surface at different angles for different latitudes.
When the tilt of the "earth" is pointed towards the "sun", you can see how more of the northern hemisphere is lighted and less of the southern hemisphere. That's basically summer in the north and winter in the south. And when the tilt of the "earth" is pointed away from the "sun", you can see how less of the northern hemisphere is lighted and more of the southern hemisphere. That's basically winter in the north and summer in the south.
When that is demonstrated, you can mark a spot on the globe and look at how that spot relates to the 'apparent' position of the sun in summer and in winter.
Tom
With whatever spherical object you use, a flashlight can be used to emulate the 'Sun in the sky'. The flashlight should shine its light parallel to the ground as it shines on your "earth". The tilt of your "earth" should clearly show how the light from your "sun" hits the surface at different angles for different latitudes.
When the tilt of the "earth" is pointed towards the "sun", you can see how more of the northern hemisphere is lighted and less of the southern hemisphere. That's basically summer in the north and winter in the south. And when the tilt of the "earth" is pointed away from the "sun", you can see how less of the northern hemisphere is lighted and more of the southern hemisphere. That's basically winter in the north and summer in the south.
When that is demonstrated, you can mark a spot on the globe and look at how that spot relates to the 'apparent' position of the sun in summer and in winter.
Tom
Here are some links and videos explaining the effect: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solstice
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when you link it to the horizon like that it makes perfect sense
as you read this text tip your head up, don't lock on it with your eyes.
The text will be come lower in your field of vision.
exact same thing with the sun, except it's not just your head, it's your entire body that has the angle shifted with the earth