Earth-Sun Relationship - Answer Sheet-2
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Earth-Sun Relationship
Jaskaran Gill
GEOG 301
Earth-Sun Relationship
Section 1: Solstices, Equinoxes, and Seasons
Please define the following (refer to the internet or a physical geography textbook as
necessary):
1.
Subsolar Point (SSP):
The subsolar point, also known as the solar zenith point or overhead point, is the
location on Earth's surface where the Sun is directly overhead at a particular moment
in time. This means that at the subsolar point, the Sun's rays strike the Earth vertically,
without any angle.
2.
Solstice (define, specify dates, and give exact location of the SSP on each date):
Solstices are two points in the Earth's orbit around the Sun where the Sun reaches its
highest or lowest point in the sky at noon. These are the longest and shortest days of
the year, marking the onset of summer and winter in the respective hemispheres.
➢
Summer Solstice occurs around June 21st each year.
➢
Winter Solstice occurs around December 21st each year.
➢
SSP is Located at the Tropic of Cancer (23.5°N) during the Northern
Hemisphere's summer solstice.
➢
SSP is located at the Tropic of Capricorn (23.5°S) during the Southern
Hemisphere's winter solstice.
3.
Equinox (define, specify dates, and give exact location of the SSP on each date):
Equinoxes are two points in the Earth's orbit around the Sun when day and night are
of approximately equal duration all over the world. They occur when the Sun is
directly above the equator.
➢
Spring Equinox (Vernal Equinox) occurs around March 21st each year.
1
Earth-Sun Relationship
➢
SSP Located at the Equator (0°) during the spring equinox.
➢
Autumn Equinox (Autumnal Equinox) occurs around September 21st each
year.
➢
SSP Located at the Equator (0°) during the autumn equinox.
4.
Based on the globe view and your understanding of some of the significant lines of
latitude, complete the following table:
Name of Latitude
Identification on image
Latitude
Equator
D
0˚
Tropic of Cancer
C
23.5˚N
Tropic of Capricorn
E
23.5˚S
Arctic Circle
B
66.5˚N
Antarctic Circle
F
66.5˚S
North Pole
A
90˚N
South Pole
G
90˚S
Figure 4.2: Significant Latitudes on Earth
2
Earth-Sun Relationship
Each diagram below illustrates the tilt of the earth as it continues in its revolution around the
sun. In each diagram, identify the date (or dates), the declination (latitude of the subsolar
point), and number of hours of sunlight at the specified latitudes.
5.
Dates : March 21 and September 23
6.
Declination : 0°
7.
Hours of Sunlight at the Equator : 12 Hours
8.
Hours of Sunlight at the Arctic Circle : 12 Hours
9.
Date : June 21
10. Declination : 23.5°N
11. Hours of Sunlight at the Equator : 12 Hours
12. Hours of Sunlight above the Arctic Circle : 24 Hours
3
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Earth-Sun Relationship
13. Date : December 22
14. Declination : 23.5°S
15. Hours of Sunlight at the Equator : 12 Hours
16. Hours of Sunlight above the Arctic Circle : 0
Section 2: Seasonal Changes in Sun Angle and Daylength
17. Use the analemma to determine the Sun’s declination (latitude of the subsolar point)
on the following days of the year:
Day of the year
Declination of the Sun
January 5
th
23.5°S
February 16
th
13°S
March 30
th
3°N
April 15
th
3°N
May 16
th
9°N
June 1
st
22°N
July 4
th
22°N
August 16
th
13°N
September 30
th
2°S
October 20
th
10°S
November 16
th
18°S
December 5
th
22°S
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Earth-Sun Relationship
18. Use the ANS equation and the analemma to calculate the Sun’s declination, arc
distance (AD), and ANS for the dates and latitudes in the chart below. Show your work
in each space provided in the chart, the first one has been done for you.
Date
Latitude
Declination of the
Sun
Arc Distance (AD)
Angle of Noon
Sun (ANS)
April 8
th
30°S
6°N
AD = 30°+6° = 36°
ANS = 90°-AD
ANS = 90° – 36°
ANS = 54°
Jun 6
th
15°N
21°N
AD = 21
°
+ 15° = 36°
ANS = 90°-AD
ANS = 90° – 36°
ANS = 54
October 31
st
65°S
13°S
AD = 65
°
+ 13° = 78°
ANS = 90°-AD
ANS = 90° – 78°
ANS = 12°
December 7
th
50°N
22°S
AD = 50
°
+ 22° = 72°
ANS = 90°-AD
ANS = 90° – 72°
ANS = 18°
Part 3: Latitude and Day Length
19. Why does Table 3.1 have a specific location for 60°N but not for 60°S? Hint: Look at a
globe, an atlas, or Google Earth!
➢
Table 3.1 likely doesn't include a specific location for 60°S because there are
very few, if any, significant landmasses or populated areas at that latitude in
the Southern Hemisphere. Most of the Southern Hemisphere at 60°S consists
of open ocean, whereas the Northern Hemisphere has more landmasses and
populated regions at similar latitudes.
5
Earth-Sun Relationship
a.
Based on what you have learned from Table 3.1, if a specific location had been
listed for 60°S, would daylength have been similar to day length for 60°N?
➢
Daylength at 60°S would not have been similar to 60°N. The primary reason
for this difference is the tilt of Earth's axis.
b.
Why or why not?
➢
The Earth's axial tilt causes variations in daylength between the Northern and
Southern Hemispheres. Around February 16th, when the Northern Hemisphere
is tilted away from the Sun, the Southern Hemisphere experiences longer
daylight hours. Conversely, around August 16th, when the Northern
Hemisphere is tilted towards the Sun, the Southern Hemisphere experiences
shorter daylight hours. This difference in daylength between the hemispheres
is a result of the Earth's axial tilt.
20.Other than the poles, which of the eight locations has the greatest variation in
daylength throughout the year?
➢
Tokyo, Japan, at 35°N latitude has the greatest variation in daylength
throughout the year among the listed locations.
a.
Why is this?
➢
This variation occurs because Tokyo is at a mid-latitude where the tilt of the
Earth's axis significantly affects the length of daylight.
b.
Is there another location that also has a lot of variation in daylength? If so,
what is it?
➢
Another location with a lot of variation in daylength is White Horse, Northern
Canada, also at 60°N latitude.
21. Which of the eight locations has the least variation in daylength throughout the year?
➢
The location with the least variation in daylength throughout the year among
the eight listed locations is Quito, Ecuador, which is located at 0°N latitude,
right on the equator.
a.
Why is this?
➢
Quito experiences minimal variation in daylength because it is situated at the
Earth's equator, where the tilt of the Earth's axis has the least effect on the
length of daylight throughout the year
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Earth-Sun Relationship
b.
Is there another location that also has minimal variation in daylength? If so,
what is it?
➢
Another location with minimal variation in daylength is the North Pole, which
has 24 hours of daylight during the entire summer (around June 21st) and 24
hours of darkness during the entire winter (around December 21st) due to its
extreme high-latitude position near the Earth's rotational axis. .
22. Canberra and Tokyo are both located at a general latitude of 35°; however, their day
lengths are different from each other on each of the four dates. Why is this?
➢
Canberra and Tokyo, both located around 35° latitude, have different day lengths on
each of the four dates due to their different positions in the Northern Hemisphere.
Canberra, being in the Southern Hemisphere, experiences longer daylight hours
during its summer (December 16th in the Southern Hemisphere) and shorter daylight
hours during its winter (June 16th in the Southern Hemisphere), while Tokyo, in the
Northern Hemisphere, experiences the opposite pattern.
23. On which date(s) does Palmas have a longer day length than the equator?
➢
Palmas has a longer day length than the equator on February 16th and November
16th.
a.
What are the seasons of these dates for Palmas?
➢
Around February 16th, it is in the Southern Hemisphere's summer.
➢
Around November 16th, it is in the Southern Hemisphere's spring.
b.
What are the seasons of these dates for the equator?
➢
At the equator (0° latitude), the seasons do not vary significantly throughout the year
in the same way they do at higher latitudes.The equatorial region does not experience
the extreme temperature variations and distinct seasons (such as summer and winter)
that higher latitudes do. Instead, it has a relatively constant warm and humid climate
throughout the year, with variations in rainfall being the primary indicator of different
seasons.
24. Find the latitude of your home city on a map, globe, or the internet.
a.
Which of the eight locations listed are you closest in latitude to?
7
Earth-Sun Relationship
➢
The latitude of Sacramento, California, USA, is approximately 38°34' N. Among
the eight locations listed, the one closest in latitude to Sacramento is Tokyo,
Japan, which is located at approximately 35°N latitude.
b.
Based on what you have learned so far, explain how day length would vary for
your city.
➢
Sacramento, being located around 38°N latitude, is in the Northern
Hemisphere. It experiences variations in day length throughout the year due to
the tilt of the Earth's axis.
➢
Around June 21st, during the Northern Hemisphere's summer solstice,
Sacramento would experience its longest day of the year, with the most
daylight hours.
➢
Around December 21st, during the Northern Hemisphere's winter solstice,
Sacramento would have its shortest day of the year, with the fewest daylight
hours.
➢
Around March 21st and September 21st, during the equinoxes, Sacramento
would have approximately equal day and night lengths, as the Sun would be
nearly directly over the equator.
➢
The day length variations would be less extreme compared to locations at
higher latitudes like the North Pole or Tokyo, but they would still be noticeable,
with longer days in summer and shorter days in winter.
Overall, Sacramento experiences the typical variations in daylength associated
with the changing seasons in the Northern Hemisphere.
25.
Critical Thinking!
Now that you have determined the declination of the Sun and
daylength for February 16th, May 16th, August 16th, and November 16
th
.
a.
What connection can you make between the declination of the Sun and
daylength for these dates?
➢
The connection between the declination of the Sun and daylength is that they are
inversely related. When the Sun's declination is positive, indicating that it is higher in
the sky and closer to a location, that location experiences longer daylength.
Conversely, when the Sun's declination is negative, indicating that it is lower in the sky
and farther from a location, that location experiences shorter daylength. This
relationship is a result of the Earth's axial tilt, which causes the Sun's apparent path in
the sky and the length of daylight to vary throughout the year.
8
Earth-Sun Relationship
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