The Earth as a planet (SB, pp 10 – 14)

The shape and movements of the Earth

The Earth is a planet, that is, a large rocky body which orbits a star, the Sun. Its shape is
round, but it is not a sphere and not even an ellipsoid. This shape is called geoid; it is the
special shape of the Earth. It is formed by gravity. The diameter at the Equator is 12,756 km; its
diameter between the poles is 12,714 km.

Movements of the Earth

The Earth has two main kinds of movements: rotation and revolution. It rotates around its
axis and orbits the Sun. The average period of rotation is 24 hours for our planet – the Earth
spins on its axis once during this time (more precisely it is 23h 56m 4s). The Earth rotates
from west to east. The consequence of this rotation is the alternation of days and nights.

The Earth travels round the Sun in a year (365,25 days) at an average distance of 149,600,000
km. Its course is an ellipse and the Sun is at one focus (gyújtópont) of this ellipse (remember
Kepler’s 1st law of planetary motion!!). The plane (keringési sík) of the Earth’s orbit is the
ecliptic; this is not the same as the plane of the Equator – it is inclined at about 23.5 degrees
to the Equator (this is called the obliquity of the ecliptic = az ekliptika ferdesége). This is
because the axis is not perpendicular to (merőleges) the plane of revolution – it inclines at an angle
of 66.5 degrees.
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The inclination (elhajlás) of the axis is the same in all seasons; this means that in one part of
the orbit the Northern Hemisphere (északi félgömb) is pointed towards the Sun, and during
the opposite part the Southern Hemisphere is pointed towards the Sun. Owing to this the sun
angle (napsugarak beesési szöge) changes during a year in a given place. This causes the
change of seasons as the heating of the air and land depends on the sun angle (HOW??). If
the axis was not inclined this way, there would be no seasons; the area of the Equator would
always be warm, the polar areas would be cold, and there would be a gradual decrease
(csökenés) of temperature towards the poles.

The Moon

The Earth has one natural satellite, the Moon. The Moon has a diameter of 3,476 km. It
orbits the common mass centre of the Earth – Moon system every 27.32 days. The Moon has
a captured rotation – this means that the rotation and the revolution take the same time, so it
keeps one face turned all the time towards the Earth.
The Moon has no light of its own – it reflects the light of the Sun. The Moon goes through a
series of phases: the amount of the sunlit side of the Moon changes during its revolution. The
most important phases are new Moon (not visible), first quarter (resembling the letter D),
full Moon ( all the sunlit side is visible) and last quarter (becoming similar to letter C). the
phases repeat themselves every 29.53 days.

Eclipses are events in which light from one body is blocked off by another body. Both the
Earth and the Moon reflect the light of the Sun. Eclipses of the Sun and the Moon can happen
only when the Sun and the Moon line up with the Earth. As the Moon orbits the Earth, it may
enter the shadow of the Earth at full Moon(lunar eclipse), and the Earth may enter the
Moon’s shadow at new Moon (solar eclipse). Eclipses may be total (the light from the Sun or
Moon is completely blocked) or partial (only part of the light is cut off).
Vocab work

-orbit the obliquity of the ecliptic

-sphere perpendicular to

ellipsoid incline

geoid an angle of ….. degrees

gravity inclination of the axis

diameter Northern Hemisphere

poles is pointed towards

rotation Southern Hemisphere

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revolution the sun angle

axis gradual decrease

average period of rotation natural satellite

spin common mass centre

more precisely captured rotation

consequence moon phases

alternation of days and nights sunlit

at an avergae distance eclipses

course is blocked off

ellipsoid enter the shadow of the Earth

focus total

plane of orbit = ecliptic partial

Practice activities

Task 1. Answer the questions after analysing the figure. (May, 2005)

a) Which astronomical phenomenon is shown by the figure?

..........................................................................................................................
1 point
b) What do the letters of the figure indicate? Write the answer on the dotted line after the 7
appropriate letter.
A: ................................................................
B: ................................................................
C: ................................................................
D: ................................................................

Task 2. 1. Put the numbers of the statements in the sets of the figure after reading the
statements referring to notable dates. (October, 2007)

22nd of June 22nd of December

A) The rays of the Sun hit the surface of the Earth at right angle on the Tropic of
Cancer.
B) The Sun does not rise on the North Pole.
C) The plane of revolution of the Earth and the axis of rotation are at an angle of 66.5°.
D) The days are longer on the Southern hemisphere than on the Northern hemisphere.
E) The astronomical winter starts on the Southern hemisphere on this date.
F) The areas lit by the Sun (areas of daytime) and dark areas (areas of night time) are
equal.

Task 3. Which celestial body(ies) do the following statements refer to? Put the number of
thestatement in the relevant group. (May, 2009)

Earth:
Moon:
Sun:

1. It has its own light.

2. Its distance from Earth is 1 AU (astronomical unit).
3. There are craters on its surface, among others.
4. The time of rotation around its axis is equal to the time of its revolution.
5. Its characteristic motions are rotation around its axis and revolution.
6. It is a planet.

Task 4. The following problems are related to the Solar System. Circle the letter of the
onlycorrect answer that matches the definition.
1. It is not an Earth-type planet.
a) Saturn
b) Venus
c) Mercury
d) Mars
2. One of the reasons for the changing of seasons.
a) The rotation of the Earth around its axis.
b) The common revolution of the Earth and the Moon around the Sun.
c) The revolution of the Earth around the Sun.
d) The revolution of the Moon around the Earth.
3. At the time of a lunar eclipse …
a) the shadow of the Sun shades the Earth.
b) the shadow of the Sun shades the Moon.
c) the shadow of the Earth shades the Sun . 7
d) the shadow of the Earth shades the Moon.
4. The length of days and nights is equal on the Earth on
a) the 1st of March
b) the 21st of March
c) the 22nd of June
d) the 22nd of December

Task 5. Compare the astronomical data below. Put the correct letter before the number ofthe
task according to the scheme below.
A) If a) > b)
B) If a) < b)
C) If a) and b) are roughly equal
...... 1. a) The period of revolution of the Moon around the Earth.
b) The period of rotation of the Moon around its axis.
...... 2. a) The period of rotation of the Earth around its axis.
b) The period of revolution of the Moon around the Earth.
...... 3. a) The period of rotation of the Moon around its axis.
b) The period of rotation of the Earth around its axis.
Task 6. The task below comprises statements regarding the motions of the Earth. The first parts
of the statements are included in the table while the second parts of them are
listed below the table. Match the first and second parts by putting the letter of the
relevant second part in the correct cell of the table. Not all second statement parts can
be matched with a first one.

1. If the Earth did not rotate around its axis, then …

2. If the axis of rotation of the Earth were not tilted, then …
3. If the speed of revolution of the Earth increased, then …
4. If the Earth made a complete revolution around the Sun
faster than a rotation around its axis, then …
A) ... a month would be longer than a year.
B) ...the angle of incidence of solar rays would not change through the day.
C) ...the length of the year would be longer than today.
D) ... both days and the nights would equally last 12 hours in every location on
Earth.
E) ...a day would be longer than a year.
F) ...there would be no seasons of the day.
G) ...the length of the year would be shorter than today.
Lesson Outline

- Basic Features of the Earth: planet, large, rocky body, orbits the Sun,
- Shape: roundish, but not a sphere, not an ellipsoid, rather, a geoid (unique, only the Earth has
this shape)
- 2 diameter figures: at the Equator: 12,756 km, btw the poles: 12,714 km

Movements of the Earth:

- rotation (around its own axis, average period: 24 hours; from west to east)
- revolution (orbitting the Sun, at an average distance of: 149,600,000 km; the course is an
ellipse; period of revolution: 365,25 days)

Consequences of the movements: 7

- rotation: alternation of days and nights
- revolution: alternation of seasons:

How? the plane of the ecliptic is not the same as the plane of the Equator, because the Earth has a
tilted axis (Obliquity of the ecliptic) » this inclination is the same in every season » there is a
shift/alternation in which hemisphere is pointed more towards the Sun = receives more heat

the Moon:
- the Earth’s natural satellite
- diameter: 3,476 km
- orbits the common mass centre of the Earth-Moon system every 27.32 days
- captured rotation = period of the rotation and the revolution is the same » keeps one face
turned towards us all the time
- has no light of its own – reflects that of the Sun
- a series of phases depending ont he amount of sunlit side: new Moon, first quarter, full Moon,
last quarter
- phases repeat themselves every 29.53 days

Eclipses
- light from one body is blocked off by another body
- generally speaking, they happen when the Sun and the Moon line up with the Earth
- lunar eclipse: Moon enters the Earth’s shadown at full Moon
- solar eclipse: the Earth enters the Moon’s shadow at new Moon
- partial/total