2. March Equinox

3. March Equinox (around March 21
March Equinox (around March 21. Noon sun is directly over head on the equator. Days and night are both 12 hrs long (except at the poles). Astronomical end of Northern Hemisphere (NH) winter. Days are getting longer in the NH very fast.

4. June Solstice

5. June Solstice: Astronomical beginning of NH summer and SH winter
June Solstice: Astronomical beginning of NH summer and SH winter. Sun is directly overhead on the tropic of cancer. Longest day of the year for NH latitudes and shortest day of the year for SH latitudes. 24 hours of sunlight North of the Arctic circle and 24 hours of darkness south of the Antarctic circle.

6. Sept Equinox

7. September Equinox (around September 22)
September Equinox (around September 22). Noon sun is directly over head on the equator. Days and night are both 12 hrs long (except at the poles). Astronomical end of Northern Hemisphere (NH) summer. Days are getting shorter in the northern hemisphere (NH) very fast.

8. December Solstice

9. December Solstice: Astronomical beginning of NH winter and SH summer
December Solstice: Astronomical beginning of NH winter and SH summer. Sun is directly overhead on the tropic of Capricorn. Shortest day of the year for NH latitudes and longest day of the year for SH latitudes. 24 hours of darkness North of the Arctic circle and 24 hours of daylight south of the Antarctic circle.

10. Vancouver Washington Length of time between Sunrise & Sunset for the 15th of each month
Mon Day Length (hr min)
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun longest day
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec shortest day

11. Length of time between Sunrise & Sunset for different latitudes and different months

12. The direct sun is more intense because 1
The direct sun is more intense because 1. it is concentrated on a smaller area on Earth’s surface 2. it does not go through as much atmosphere.

13. In both cases the amount of energy provided by the flash light is the same. When the flashlight beam is coming down at an angle the light is spread out over a larger area so the surface does not get as hot. The same is true for sunlight.

16. Annual Mean temperatures: warm near the equator and cooler toward the poles.

17. Northern Hemisphere winter has a very large difference between the temperatures at the equator compare to those near the north pole. That is, there is a large temperature gradient in the northern hemisphere during NH winter. SH summer gradient is small.

18. Northern Hemisphere summer has a fairly small difference between the temperatures at the equator compare to those near the north pole. That is, there is a small temperature gradient in the northern hemisphere during NH summer. SH winter gradient is large.

19. Rain follows the sunlight: Annual rainfall is greatest near the equator.

20. Rain follows the sunlight: July rainfall is greatest North of the the equator.

21. Rain follows the sunlight: January rainfall is greatest South of the equator.