Sun and Seasons

Sun and Seasons Tutorial Worksheet

During the Sun & the Seasons animation with the selected latitude being the equator, I observed the sun progressively gets higher in the sky until it is directly overhead at the Vernal equinox and autumnal exuinox when the rays are perpendicular to the surface area, which also coincides with the Maximum radiant energy received. At the summer solstice and Winter Solstice the sun is lower in the sky and we see a minimum in the radiant energy curve.

Answer Bank:

vernal equinox

autumnal equinox

summer solstice

winter solstice

maximum

minimum

During the Sun & the Seasons animation with the selected latitude being the equator, I observed the sun rises in the Southeast and sets in the southwest in the winter months. I observed the sun rises in the northeast and sets in the northwest during the summer months and rises in the east and sets in the west at the equinoxes.

Answer Bank:

N

NE

E

SE

S

SW

W

NW

During the Sun & the Seasons animation with the selected latitude being the equator, I observed the hours of daylight remained nearly constant and the maximum temperature remained nearly constant throughout the year.

Answer Bank:

decreased and then increased

increased and then decreased

remained nearly constant

only increased

only decreased

During the Sun and Seasons animation with the selected latitude being 23½ degrees, the sun progressively gets higher in the sky until it is directly overhead at the summer solstice when the rays are perpendicular to the surface area, which also coincides with the maximum radiant energy received. At the winter the sun is lowest in the sky and we see the radiant energy at a minimum on the radiant energy curve.  

Answer Bank:

vernal equinox

autumnal equinox

summer solstice

winter solstice

maximum

minimum

During the Sun and Seasons animation with the selected latitude being 23½ degrees, I observed 12 hours of daylight at vernal equinox and...