B.G.
WHY DO WE HAVE SEASONS?
1. What are the common misconceptions mentioned in the video about the seasons and phases of the
moon?
a. The common misconception mentioned in the video regarding the seasons includes believing
the Earth’s revolution around the sun to be the cause of warmer or colder weather as they
picture the Earth’s orbit to be elliptical, rather than very nearly circular. Common
misconceptions regarding the phases of the moon include that the Earth’s position interferes
with the position of the sun against the moon, that the shadow of the Earth creates the phases
of the moon, and that clouds blocking the moon create the phases of the moon itself.
2. Why do you think Earth experiences different seasons depending on where you are (Northern vs
Southern hemisphere) and why do we see different phases of the moon?
a. Because the Earth is tilted on its axis rather than perfectly straight, different parts of the Earth
receive the most amounts of direct sunlight. When the north pole is tilted towards the sun, the
Northern hemisphere will experience summer and the Southern hemisphere winter. When the
south pole is tilted towards the sun, the Southern hemisphere will experience summer and the
Northern winter.
b. The phases of the moon are determined by the side of the moon that we can see, which is
dependent on whether the sun is reflecting off the side of the moon facing the Earth or not.
3. Choose New York and it shows the Earth's position in December (winter solstice for the Northern
Hemisphere). Observe the sun's rays and where the sun is in the image to the lower right. Move the Earth
counterclockwise by clicking on each of the dots until you reach June (Summer Solstice). What happens
to the Sun's angle, the area of the light on the ground, and the sun's position (is it lower/higher up in the
sky, etc.) as the Earth revolves from December to June?
a. As the Earth revolves from December to June, the North pole is rotated from being pointed away
from the sun to being pointed towards the sun in June. The opposite happens to the South pole,
which is pointed towards the sun in December and away from the sun in June. The sun’s angle in
December is directly overhead 23.5 degrees south of the Equator at the Tropic of Capricorn. This
angle moves to such that the sun’s angle is directly overhead 23.5 degrees north of the Equator
at the Tropic of cancer.
4. Change to Miami (location close to Tropic of Cancer). Which month(s) is the Sun the highest up in the
sky, meaning right up at zenith and which month(s) is the Sun lowest, closer to the horizon?
a. The sun is highest in the sky between May and July, peaking in June and lowest in the sky
between November and January, peaking in December.
5. Change to Singapore (location very close to the Equator). Which month(s) is the Sun the highest up in
the sky, meaning right up at zenith and which month(s) is the Sun lowest, closer to the horizon?
a. The sun is highest in the sky in September and March and lowest in the sky in June and
December.
6. Why is it that when the Sun is higher up in the Sky, we have higher temperatures? (Hint: sun's angle and
the area in the ground)
a. When the sun is higher up in the sky, the sun’s rays are able to reach a greater surface area than
if it were at a lower angle. The greater the surface area that the sun can reach, the more heat and
light is able to penetrate that region, increasing the overall temperatures there.
