Page 4 - Geografie_Geography_Terra_O_Planeta_In_Miscare

3. Terra (Earth) - a moving planet

We remember!

Since the fourth grade you have learned that the Earth revolves
around its axis for 24 hours and around the Sun for 365 days. Let’s go
ahead and look at our planet through the porthole of the rocket to
discover the consequences of the two movements.

The movement of the Earth around the Sun and its consequences

23° 30’
23° 30’ perpendicular to the equator and the day is equal to
North Pole
N o r t h P o le the night. After this day from an astronomical point
of view, spring begins in the northern hemisphere
and autumn in the southern hemisphere. From now
on the day will be longer than the night.
Terra (Earth) continues its travel on the
orbit till June 20 or 21 when we stop and analyze
at
o
r
u
Ecuator
E
c
S o u t h P o le again. On one of these days, it is summer solstice.
South Pole
We notice that the Earth’s axis, that is the The northern hemisphere is the brightest, being the
imaginary line connecting the North Pole to the longest day of the year. In the southern hemisphere
South Pole is tilted by 23 degrees and 30 minutes. it is winter and the longest night of the year.
This fact, cumulated with the movement that the We once again play the Earth which reaches
Earth executes around the Sun, that is Revolution high speed in the days of September 22-23. It is a
movement, leads to formation of seasons. But let’s see day in the mirror of that of March and is called the
how this happens! autumnal equinox (“echinocțiul de toamnă”). After
Earth needs 365 days and 6 hours to circle The this date the night becomes longer than the day and
Sun once. We will not wait a year, so we will put the it will all increase until the winter solstice which is
revolution movement on super-fast. Let’s say it’s the either on 21, be on December 22. It mirrors that of
date of March 20. It’s an ordinary day, isn’t it? Well, summer and marks the beginning of astronomical
for Terra it’s a special day. It is the spring equinox winter in our hemisphere. One more earth play and
(“echinocțiul de primăvară”). Now The Sun’s rays fall it reaches the same point in orbit where we started.