The four seasons are determined by the fact that the Earth is tilted 23.4° on its vertical axis, which is referred to as “axial tilt.” This quirk in our orbit determines the solstices – the point in the orbit of maximum axial tilt toward or away from the Sun – and the equinoxes, when the direction of the tilt and the direction to the Sun are perpendicular. Third, there is the role Earth’s orbit plays in the seasons, which we referred to above. That is why the difference between the Earth’s distance from the Sun at perihelion and aphelion is very little – less than 5 million km. If it is close to one, the ellipse is long and slender.Įarth’s orbit has an eccentricity of less than 0.02, which means that it is very close to being circular. If a planet’s eccentricity is close to zero, then the ellipse is nearly a circle. In describing the nature of elliptical orbits, scientists use a factor known as “eccentricity”, which is expressed in the form of a number between zero and one. It also meant that both Earth and Mars did not orbit the Sun in perfectly circular patterns. This coincided directly with the planets’ aphelion and perihelion, meaning that the planets’ distance from the Sun bore a direct relationship to the speed of their orbits. Credit: Wikipedia/HankwangĪfter measuring the orbits of the Earth and Mars, he noticed that at times, the orbits of both planets appeared to be speeding up or slowing down. An illustration of Kepler’s three laws of motion, which show two planets that have elliptical orbits around the Sun. This orbital pattern was first described by Johannes Kepler, a German mathematician and astronomer, in his seminal work Astronomia nova (New Astronomy). This is what is known as an “elliptical” orbit. Rather than being a perfect circle, the Earth moves around the Sun in an extended circular or oval pattern. Next, there is the nature of the Earth’s orbit. The Earth completes one orbit every 365.242199 mean solar days, a fact which goes a long way towards explaining why need an extra calendar day every four years (aka. Orbital Characteristics:įirst of all, the speed of the Earth’s orbit around the Sun is 108,000 km/h, which means that our planet travels 940 million km during a single orbit. And what they have found has helped us to understanding why we measure time the way we do. If this bright celestial body – upon which depends the seasons, the diurnal cycle, and all life on Earth – does not revolve around us, then what exactly is the nature of our orbit around it?įor several centuries, astronomers have applied the scientific method to answer this question, and have determined that the Earth’s orbit around the Sun has many fascinating characteristics. (Like all stars, the Sun will eventually run out of energy – but scientists don’t expect this to happen for another 5 billion years or so.Ever since the 16th century when Nicolaus Copernicus demonstrated that the Earth revolved around in the Sun, scientists have worked tirelessly to understand the relationship in mathematical terms. Instead, people build giant rocket thrusters to move the Earth to a new star system. In the 2019 film “The Wandering Earth,” once again the Sun is dying, but there’s no bomb this time. To save humanity, astronauts try to reignite the Sun with a bomb, though things don't quite go as planned. ![]() ![]() In the 2007 film “Sunshine,” the Sun is dying, plummeting Earth into a deep freeze. Astronauts are supposed to use a bomb to divert the flare. In the 1990 science fiction film “Solar Crisis,” a huge solar flare is about to scorch Earth. If you're Superman or a fellow Kryptonian, your powers are heightened by the yellow glow of our Sun, and you can even dispose of dangerous materials, as Superman and Superboy did, by hurling them into the Sun. ![]() The Beatles had a hit in 1969 with “Here Comes the Sun.” Other popular songs that reference the Sun include: “Walkin’ on the Sun” by Smashmouth “Ain’t No Sunshine” by Bill Withers “Walking on Sunshine” by Katrina and the Waves “Pocketful of Sunshine” by Natasha Bedingfield and “Let the Sunshine In” by the Fifth Dimension. Countless musicians have written songs about the Sun.
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