How does earths rotation cause day and night?
The rotation of the Earth on its axis is what causes day and night. The Earth takes approximately 24 hours (or one day) to complete one full rotation.
To understand how this rotation creates day and night, here are the steps to follow:
1. Visualize the Earth as a sphere with an imaginary line passing through its center from the North Pole to the South Pole. This line is known as the Earth's axis of rotation.
2. Imagine standing on the Earth's surface at a specific location, let's say somewhere in North America.
3. As the Earth rotates, half of it is facing towards the Sun, and the other half is facing away from the Sun. The part of the Earth facing the Sun experiences daylight, while the opposite side experiences darkness.
4. Now, consider your location in North America. As the Earth rotates, your location will move from facing the Sun (daytime) to facing away from the Sun (nighttime).
5. During the daytime, sunlight falls directly on your location, illuminating it and causing daylight. This is when you experience daytime or "day".
6. As the Earth continues to rotate, your location moves away from the Sun, entering the shadowed region away from direct sunlight. This is when nighttime or "night" occurs.
7. The cycle of day and night continues as the Earth completes one full rotation every 24 hours.
So, the Earth's rotation on its axis causes different parts of the planet to face towards or away from the Sun, creating the alternation between day and night.
If you lie on your back and look straight up,
at noon you face the sun. (on the equator on the equinoxes)
At midnight you face dark space or perhaps a full moon.