North is usually up on most maps.South is normally down on the bottom of

most maps.East is normally to the right on most maps.West is normally to the left on most maps.

The 4 points of the compassThe 4 points of the compass

The sun and moon The sun and moon rise in the rise in the easteast. .

The sun and moon set The sun and moon set in the in the westwest . .

The equator is a line,not real, drawn around the Earth.The equator is halfway between the North Pole and the South Pole. There, the surface of the planet is parallel to the axis of rotation.

The equator divides the Earth into the Northern Hemisphere and the Southern

Hemisphere.

The Equator and the Hemispheres

An orbit is a circular motion about an An orbit is a circular motion about an external point:for example the Earth external point:for example the Earth around the Sunaround the Sun..

The The Northern HemisphereNorthern Hemisphere is the part of is the part of the Earththe Earth that is that is northnorth of the of the equatorequator. .

The The Southern HemisphereSouthern Hemisphere is the half of is the half of the Earth the Earth southsouth of the of the equatorequator..

Time zonesTime zonesThere are 24 time zones dividing the Earth There are 24 time zones dividing the Earth into different times, because when it is day-into different times, because when it is day-time on one side of the Earth, it is night-time time on one side of the Earth, it is night-time

on the other side.on the other side.

A A seasonseason is a part of is a part of the year. There are the year. There are four seasons in a four seasons in a year: year: springspring, , summersummer, , autumnautumn or fall , and or fall , and winterwinter. .

      

The seasons

We have seasons We have seasons because the part of because the part of the Earth tilted the Earth tilted towards the Sun towards the Sun changes, when the changes, when the Earth goes round the Earth goes round the Sun. Sun.

The Earth goes round The Earth goes round the Sun in its orbit the Sun in its orbit but it also goes but it also goes round itself. The round itself. The northern and northern and southern southern hemispheres have hemispheres have opposite seasons.opposite seasons.

A A solsticesolstice is when the Earth is the most tilted. is when the Earth is the most tilted.The June Solstice is when the Northern The June Solstice is when the Northern

Hemisphere is tilted toward the Sun and the Hemisphere is tilted toward the Sun and the Southern Hemisphere is tilted away from the Southern Hemisphere is tilted away from the Sun. The June Solstice is usually on 21st June. Sun. The June Solstice is usually on 21st June.

The December Solstice is when the Southern The December Solstice is when the Southern Hemisphere is tilted toward the Sun and the Hemisphere is tilted toward the Sun and the Northern Hemisphere is tilted away from the Northern Hemisphere is tilted away from the Sun. The December Solstice is usually on Sun. The December Solstice is usually on 21st December. 21st December.

Solstice and Equinox

EquinoxEquinox is when the sun passes directly is when the sun passes directly over the equator. There are two equinoxes over the equator. There are two equinoxes each year. On these days, the day and the each year. On these days, the day and the night are equal in length. They occur on or night are equal in length. They occur on or around 23rd March and 21st around 23rd March and 21st September .The equinoxes are the September .The equinoxes are the beginning of spring, and autumn.beginning of spring, and autumn.

A A dayday (24 hours) (24 hours) is the is the time it takes the Earth time it takes the Earth to spin around once. to spin around once.

It is It is dayday time on the side time on the side of the earth that is of the earth that is looking at the Sun.looking at the Sun.

When it is When it is nightnight time, time, that side of the earth that side of the earth is hiding from the Sun.is hiding from the Sun.

Day and night

An ordinary An ordinary yearyear has 365 days. A has 365 days. A leap leap yearyear has 366 days. The extra day is has 366 days. The extra day is added to the month of February. In an added to the month of February. In an ordinary year, February has 28 days. In ordinary year, February has 28 days. In a leap year, it has 29 days. a leap year, it has 29 days.

Year/Leap year

We have leap years because instead of 365 We have leap years because instead of 365 days, the Earth really takes a few minutes days, the Earth really takes a few minutes less than 365 1/4 days to go completely less than 365 1/4 days to go completely around the Sun.around the Sun.