Topic 4 - Time and the Earth-Moon-Sun cycles Flashcards
What is MST?
The time on our watches, devised by humans to use as time for our society
What causes the variation in EOT?
The Earth’s elliptical orbit and the tilted axis of the Earth
How long is a sidereal month?
27.3 days
What is LMT
The MST for a time zone
How long is a Solar/synodic month?
29.5 days
How long is a sidereal day?
23 hours and 56 minutes
What causes the variation in times of sunrise and sunset?
The 23.5° tilt of the Earth’s axis
Why does the Sun’s apparent motion change throughout the year?
The Earth’s axial tilt means that observers will see the Sun in different places throughout the year.
How does sunrise and sunset change on the Winter Solstice?
The Sun rises further South of East and sets further South of West which means that we get less daylight
How does sunrise and sunset change on the Summer Solstice?
The Sun rises further North of East and sets further North of West which means that we get more daylight
Why is the time different for observers in different longitudes?
The observers are in different time zones
