Earth as Planet

  1. The seasons are the result of the variation in distance from the sun to earth as it circles around the sun in an elliptical orbit for the duration of one year. Fact or Fiction?

  2. The Earth has a tilt that always points toward the same direction as it revolves around the sun. Fact or Fiction?

  3. Our night and day is caused by the rotation of the earth. Fact or Fiction?

  4. During our summer, let’s say August 1st, the length of day is longer in Seattle than it is in the Sacramento Area. Fact or Fiction?

  5. The Earth is a completely perfect sphere, thus the need for map projections. Fact or Fiction?

  6. The Milky Way is our galaxy, of which the sun is the center. Fact or Fiction?

  7. The circle of illumination divides the Earth into a light and a dark hemisphere.

  8. When one crosses the international dateline heading West such as from San Francisco to Japan, you must set your watch to the next day (e.g. from Tues. to Weds)

  9. One degree of latitude is broken into hours, minutes and seconds.

  10. The vertical rays (exactly 90 degrees) of the Sun migrate between 23.5° N and 23.5° S.

  11. The Great Circle route is the long way to your destination, like following a parallel route around the equator.

  12. During our winter solstice (Dec 22nd or so), the sun is directly overhead at the Tropic of Cancer.

  13. Both the inclination and parallelism (also known as polarity) are necessary for seasons.

  14. The shortest day of the year is the autumnal equinox.