The Spinning Earth - Suggestions



The Spinning Earth can be used to help you to understand many things.

How about:

 


 
 
Day and Night
 
 
We get Day and Night because the Earth is spinning, making the Sun appear to move across the sky.

You might think that the Sun is actually moving itself, but using the Movies you can see that this is not true.

Try this:

  1. Select March as the Time of Year.
  2. Choose the Small movie if the Internet is slow, otherwise try a Big movie.
  3. Click on the Camera over Europe.
  4. Watch the Movie a few times.

Did you see that the Stars all seem to move just like the Sun? If not, have another look at the Movie.

The stars are just like the Sun but much further away, so they could not all be moving around us. They must be "fixed in place" and only appear to move because the Earth is spinning.

The Sun must be "fixed in place" as well as it seems to move in the same way.

Going a bit Further:

  1. Select March as the Time of Year.
  2. Choose the Small movie if the Internet is slow, otherwise try a Big movie.
  3. Click on the Camera over the South Atlantic.
  4. Watch the Movie a few times.
  5. Is it different from the first Movie?
  6. If it is, in what ways? Why do you think it is different?

 


 

 
Time Zones
 
 
When it is day in the UK, it can be in the middle of the night somewhere else in the World.

Because of this, people in different parts of the world have their clocks set to different times.

Try this:

  1. Select March as the Time of Year.
  2. Choose the Small movie if the Internet is slow, otherwise try a Big movie.
  3. Click on the Camera over Europe.
  4. Watch the Movie a few times.
  5. Keep that Movie but click on the Camera over North America to get another one.
  6. Watch both Movies. Can you see any differences?
  7. If you can, use your Movie-playing software to stop both movies at 12:00 GMT on the Clock in the bottom-left corner of the Movie.
  8. Is it Day or Night in each place?

You can see that Day and Night come at different times in different places.

Going a bit Further:

  1. Is Sunrise earlier in North America or Europe?
  2. Do you think it will be earlier or later in North Asia?
  3. Get another Movie to test your answer!

 


 

 
Seasons
 
 
Seasons occur because the Earth is tilted towards or away from the Sun.

If you are not sure how this works, find out here!

The tilt makes the Sun appear higher in the sky in Summer and lower in the sky in Winter.

Try this:

  1. Select June as the Time of Year.
  2. Choose the Small movie if the Internet is slow, otherwise try a Big movie.
  3. Click on the Camera over Europe.
  4. Watch the Movie a few times.
  5. Now select December as the Time of Year.
  6. Click on the Camera over Europe.
  7. Watch the Movie a few times.

Can you see that the Sun stays close to the Horizon in the Winter?

This is because the Northern part of the Earth is tilted away from the Sun.

Going a bit Further:

  1. Select June as the Time of Year again.
  2. Choose the Small movie if the Internet is slow, otherwise try a Big movie.
  3. Click on the Camera over the South Atlantic.
  4. Watch the Movie a few times.
  5. Is it different from the Movie for June in Europe?
  6. If it is, in what ways? Why do you think it is different?
  7. What do you think the Movie for December in the South Atlantic will be like? Try it and see if you are right!

 


 

 
Places where the Sun doesn't shine (sometimes!)
 
 
In some parts of the world, there are days where the Sun does not rise and others where it does not set.

Where do you think these places might be?

Try this:

  1. Select December as the Time of Year.
  2. Choose the Small movie if the Internet is slow, otherwise try a Big movie.
  3. Click on the Camera over the Arctic.
  4. Watch the Movie a few times.
  5. What has happened?
  6. Now select June as the Time of Year.
  7. Click on the Camera over the Arctic.
  8. What is different?
Can you see what has happened? Why do you think this is?

Going a bit Further:

  1. Can you think of anywhere else in the world where the Sun might stay up all day?
  2. Get some more Movies to test your answer!

 

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