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Unit AA
Earth's Seasons Vocab.
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| rotate | to spin on an axis; when Earth does this, we get day and night |
| axis | the imaginary line from the North Pole to the South Pole |
| tilt | the slant of Earth’s axis, which is 23.5 degrees from vertical |
| revolve | to move in a circle around another object |
| orbital path | the path of an object as it revolves around another object |
| seasons | the four natural divisions of the year based on changes in temperature, caused by changes in the angle and intensity of sunlight because of Earth's tilt |
| hemisphere | half of the globe or the celestial sphere |
| direct | in the shortest unbroken line; temperatures are higher when the sunlight is like this |
| indirect | angled or spread out; temperatures are lower when the sunlight is like this |
| solstice | the longest day and longest night of the year; in June and December |
| equinox | the two times when day/night are equal; in March and September |
| sol- | a prefix that means "of or from the sun" |
| equ- | a prefix that means "being equal or balanced" |
| vernal equinox | first day of spring (daylight/night hours equal) |
| autumnal equinox | first day of autumn (daylight/night hours equal) |
| summer solstice | first day of summer (longest daylight hours) |
| winter solstice | first day of winter (longest night hours) |