Earth's Seasons

Front

What is the Spring Equinox?

Back

The Spring Equinox is the point in the year when day and night are approximately equal in length, marking the start of spring in the Northern Hemisphere.

Front

What does the term 'equinox' mean?

Back

The term 'equinox' comes from the Latin words 'aequus' meaning 'equal' and 'nox' meaning 'night', referring to the time when day and night are of equal length.

Front

What season occurs during the Fall Equinox?

Back

The Fall Equinox marks the beginning of autumn in the Northern Hemisphere, when day and night are approximately equal.

Front

What is Earth's Axis?

Back

Earth's Axis is an imaginary vertical line that runs through the North and South Poles, around which the Earth rotates.

Front

What happens during the Summer Solstice?

Back

The Summer Solstice is the longest day of the year, occurring when one hemisphere is tilted closest to the sun.

Front

What happens during the Winter Solstice?

Back

The Winter Solstice is the shortest day of the year, occurring when one hemisphere is tilted farthest from the sun.

Front

How do the Spring and Fall Equinoxes compare?

Back

Both the Spring and Fall Equinoxes have equal amounts of daylight and night.

Front

What is the significance of the Earth's revolution?

Back

Earth's revolution is the orbit around the sun, which takes about 365.25 days and causes the changing seasons.

Front

What is the difference between rotation and revolution?

Back

Rotation is the spinning of Earth on its axis, taking about 24 hours, while revolution is the orbit around the sun.

Front

What causes the seasons on Earth?

Back

The tilt of Earth's axis and its revolution around the sun cause the seasons to change.