Starry Night: Year and Seasons
Guiding Question: ___________________________________________________________
Directions
1. Open the following: Student Exercises - Earth, Moon & Sun - Year & Sun
2. Work through the question.
Activity Questions
Earth’s Orbit:
1. How far is the Earth on the following months.
(Stop on each and use the hand a measurement line between the Earth and Sun)
Dec __________________ AU (Astronomical Units)
Mar __________________ AU
June __________________ AU
Sept __________________ AU
2. What are the two objects orbiting closer to the sun? ______________
______________
3. Is the Earth closer to the Sun at any time during the motion around the Sun? When?
______________________________________________________________________________
Days of winter:
4. Record the time of the sunrise and sunset and the approximate altitude and direction of the Sun
at it’s highest point. (Look at the Gaze Alt. and Az.)
______________________________________________________________________________
Days of summer
5. Record the time of the sunrise and sunset and the approximate altitude and direction of the Sun
at it’s highest point. (Look at the Gaze Alt. and Az.)
______________________________________________________________________________
6. What is happening to the altitude (Alt.) and Azimuth (Az) between winter and summer?
______________________________________________________________________________
Seasons come and Go:
7. When are we tilted towards the sun? (Month) _______________________________________
8. When are we tilted away from the sun? (Month) ____________________________________
9. When are we neither tilted towards or away from the sun? (Month) _____________________
Summer or Winter: (Answer the questions from the guide)
10a. __________________________________________________________________________
10b. __________________________________________________________________________
10c. __________________________________________________________________________
Winter or Summer: (Answer the questions from the guide)
11a. __________________________________________________________________________
11b. __________________________________________________________________________
11c. __________________________________________________________________________
11d. __________________________________________________________________________
Extra Credit: (Answer the questions from the guide) 5 pts.
a. ___________________________________________________________________________
b. ___________________________________________________________________________
c. ___________________________________________________________________________
Starry Night Home View
Directions:
Click Home under Viewing Location
Set time to 12:00 PM
Highlight the month and use the up and down arrows on the keyboard to change the months.
Draw the shape of the suns location during the year.
Answer the questions below using the diagram.
12. During what month is the sun the highest? ________________________________________
13. During what month is the sun the lowest? _________________________________________
14. During what months does the suns path cross? _____________________________________
15. Guiding Question: What causes the seasons?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________