Download 14.1 NOTES What are the motions of Earth? Objective: Explain

14.1 NOTES
What are the motions of Earth?
Objective: Explain Earth’s motions
Earth moves in an
orbit around the
Sun called
revolution. One
complete revolution
around the Sun
takes 365 ¼ days, or
one year. Earth’s
path as it goes
around the Sun is
called its orbit.
Earth’s orbit is in
the shape of a
slightly flattened oval.
The planets and other bodies in Space spin on an axis. An axis is an imaginary line
through the center of a planet or other body around which that body spins. Earth
spins on its axis at an angle of 23 ½ degrees. The North Pole of Earth always
points toward Polaris, the North Star.
The spinning of a planet on its axis is called rotation. Our planet rotates once
every 24 hours, giving us day and night. At any moment, half of Earth is
experiencing daylight, while the other half is experiencing darkness.
When viewed from the North Pole, Earth rotates on its axis from west to east.
This make the Sun appears to rise in the east and set in the west. As Earth
rotates, the Sun seems to be moving across the sky. This is called the Sun’s
apparent motion.