Have you ever watched a sunrise or sunset and wondered why they happen? Well, you are in luck! In this video for kids, we are going to talk more about sunrises and sunsets, and the science behind them! First, let’s talk a little bit about the relationship between the Sun and the Earth. The Sun is the only star in our solar system, and gives off heat, provides energy for living things, and can use used to provide solar polar for electricity. The Sun stays in the same position at the center of the solar system. The Earth rotates, or spins, around the Sun on its axis, which is the imaginary point where the Earth spins. Kind of like when you spin a basketball on your fingertip. Your finger is the axis! The Earth makes one complete turn on its axis every 24 hours. It turns toward the east. This is why the sun “rises” in the east, and then moves across the sky to “set” in the west. But does the Sun really move across the sky? Nope! The movement of the Earth is what causes the Sun to appear like it is moving. And the movement of the Earth affects when the Sun appears, or rises, in the morning, and when it sets, or disappears, at night. We hope you and your student(s) enjoyed learning about sunrises and sunsets! If you want even more information, head over to our website and download one of our many free lesson plans, full of activities, worksheets, and more!
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Why does the Sun rise and set? Have you ever watched a sunrise or sunset and wondered why
they happen? Well, you are in luck! Today, we are going to talk more about sunrises and sunsets and
the science behind them. First, let's talk a little bit about the relationship between the Sun
and the Earth. The Sun is the only star in our solar system and gives off heat, provides energy
for living things, and can be used to provide solar power for electricity. The Sun stays in
the same position at the center of the solar system. The Earth rotates or spins around the Sun
on its axis, which is the imaginary point where the Earth spins, kind of like when you spin a
basketball on your fingertip. Your finger is the axis. The Earth makes one complete turn on its
axis every 24 hours. It turns toward the east. This is why the Sun rises in the east and then
moves across the sky to set in the west. Here is a real-life example of what the Sun looks like
when it rises and sets. From this view, it really looks like the Sun travels throughout the day.
But does the Sun really move across the sky? Nope! The movement of the Earth is what causes
the Sun to appear like it is in motion. And the movement of the Earth affects when the Sun
appears or rises in the morning and when it sets or disappears at night. Remember how the Earth
also spins around the Sun? Because of the movement of the Earth during different seasons of the year,
the Sun will rise at different times each morning. The time of a sunrise will also depend
on your location on Earth. The same thing goes when the Sun sets. Depending on the season and
your location, the Sun will set in the west at different times each night. Here is an interesting
fact. In some places on the Earth, such as the area north of the Arctic Circle and south of the
Antarctic Circle, there is at least one day per year where there is no sunrise or sunset.
This is when it is either dark for 24 hours or light for 24 hours. Have you ever heard of the
term Midnight Sun? That refers to the phenomenon that happens when the Sun remains visible at
midnight. This occurs during the summer months at both the north and south poles.
In other places on the Earth, sunrise might take place very early in the morning and sunset will
happen very late at night. That is what happens in the summertime. And other times, like during
the winter months, the Sun will rise later and set earlier. Another interesting fact. The northern
and southern hemispheres are opposite of each other. When it is summer in the northern hemisphere
with more sunlight, it is winter in the southern hemisphere with less sunlight. And vice versa.
So, while you are sitting on a beach soaking up the Sun, someone else might be skiing down a snowy
mountain. Thanks for learning with us. If you are interested in learning more about the Sun,
make sure you check out our video about solar eclipses. See you next time.
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