ABEN 55a – LECTURE 02

CHAPTER 3 Sun and Earth

What is Sun?

• The Sun is a star, the closest star to planet earth.

• It is the largest object in the solar system, contains 99.8% of the total mass.
• It is estimated to be about 4.5 billion years old.
• Its gravity hold the systems together keeping everything – from the biggest planets to
the smallest particles of debris – in its orbit.
SOLAR PROPERTIES
Radius = 696,000 km (100 times Earth)
Mass = 2 x 1030 kg (300,000 times Earth)
Average Density = 1410 kg/m3
Rotation Period

• 29.4 days (equator)

• 29.8 days (poles) The moon’s orbit
around the earth would
Surface Temperature = 5780 K simply fit in the sun.

STRUCTURE
‘Surface’ – Photosphere
‘Atmosphere’
- Chromosphere
- Transition Zone
- Corona
- Solar Wind
‘Interior’
- Convection Zone
- Radiation Zone
- Core
Sun’s Key Roles

• The sun supplies light and heat to our solar system.

• The sun is the Earth’s major source of heat energy.
• The sun’s heat sustain life and control our climate.
• The sun keeps the temperature of most of the Earth’s surface at 51 to 49.
Sun’s Effect on Weather

• The Sun is a major contributor to the world’s weather.

• The Sun’s heat warms the Earth’s land and water surfaces.
• The Earth absorbs the heat and releases it into the atmosphere, which heats the air above, and
causes moving air.
• The movement of air causes winds which lead to weather changes.
 ABEN 55a – LECTURE 02

Earth’s Energy Budget

Warm air from land rises at day, and warm air from sea rises at night. Warm air from land travels to sea at
night and warm air from sea travels to land. At night, lands are cool and at day they are warm.
Earth on its Orbit

• 1 year= 365.24 days. It takes Earth 1 year to revolve around the sun. We have leap year every four
years to make up for the .24
• Perihelion=when the Earth is closest to the sun, 91.5 million miles away
• Aphelion=when the Earth is farthest away from the sun, 94.5 million miles away
• Apogee = when the moon is farthest from earth
• Perigee = when the moon is the closest to earth

Rotation and Revolution

• Earth rotates on its axis (counter clockwise).

• It takes one day, 24 hours to complete one rotation.
• As Earth rotates, half of the Earth is always illuminated by the sun and half of the Earth
is always dark.
• Earth rotates around the sun (also counterclockwise).
• It takes one year, 365 days, to complete one revolution
 ABEN 55a – LECTURE 02

Circle of Illumination

Earth’s Axial Tilt (23.5°)

• The tilt of Earth’s axis is one of the two reasons for the seasons.
• One hemisphere is always in the process of tilting towards the sun
• In June, the northern hemisphere is tilted towards the sun.
• In December, it is tilted away, and it is the opposite for the southern hemisphere.
Subsolar Point

• This is the place on Earth where the suns’ angle is 90° and solar radiation strikes the surface most
directly.
• Earth’s axial tilt and its orbit cause the subsolar point to move between 23.5° north and 23.5° south
over the course of a year.
 ABEN 55a – LECTURE 02

EQUINOX AND SOLSTICE

Spring (Vernal) Equinox
• March 20-21
• Subsolar point at Equator
• Circle of illumination extends to both poles.

Summer Solstice
• June 20-21
• Northern hemisphere tilts towards the sun
• Southern hemisphere tilts away
• Subsolar point= Tropic of Cancer 23.5° N
• Above 66.5 ° N=24 hours of daylight (Land of the Midnight Sun)
• 66.5 ° S to 90 ° S= 0 hours of sunlight (tilted away from the sun)

Fall (Autumnal) Equinox

• September 22-23
• Subsolar point at the equator again
• Equal hours of day and light at all locations
• N or S hemisphere not tilted towards the sun

Winter Solstice
• December 21-22
• Northern hemisphere tilted away from the sun
• Southern Hemisphere tilted towards the sun
• Subsolar point at 23.5 ° S, Tropic of Capricorn
• Above 66.5 ° N, 24 hours of darkness

Analemma
• An analemma is a natural pattern traced out annually in the sky by the Sun.
• The analemma can be used to determine the sun’s subsolar point for any given date.