The Seasons Mind Map

← The Seasons

Why Earth has seasons: the tilt of its axis changes the angle of sunlight and the number of daylight hours as Earth orbits the sun.

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- - axisAn imaginary line through the center of Earth from the North Pole to the South Pole. Earth spins around it.Earth’s axis is tilted 23.5 degrees.
  - tiltA slant or lean away from straight up and down.The tilt of Earth causes the seasons.
  - orbitThe curved path of one object around another in space, maintained by gravity.Earth’s orbit around the sun takes one year.
  - revolutionOne full trip of an object around another object.One revolution of Earth around the sun is a year.
  - hemisphereHalf of Earth, such as the northern half or southern half.When it is summer in our hemisphere, it is winter in Australia.
  - equatorAn imaginary line around the middle of Earth, halfway between the poles.Places near the equator are warm all year.
- - direct raysSunlight that hits the ground straight on, so its energy is concentrated in a small area.Direct rays make summer days hot.
  - indirect raysSunlight that hits the ground at a low slant, so its energy is spread over a large area.Indirect rays make winter days cold.
  - angleHow much a line slants compared to another line.The angle of the sun is higher in summer.
  - intensityHow strong or concentrated something is.Direct sunlight has a higher intensity than slanted sunlight.
  - daylightThe hours when the sun is above the horizon.Ohio gets about 15 hours of daylight in June.
- - seasonA part of the year with its own weather pattern: winter, spring, summer, or fall.Summer is the warmest season in Ohio.
  - solsticeThe day with the most or the least daylight of the year.The June solstice is the longest day of the year in Ohio.
  - equinoxOne of two days each year when day and night are about the same length everywhere.The fall equinox comes in late September.
- - climateThe usual weather of a place over many years.Seasonal changes are part of a place’s climate.
  - monsoonA seasonal change in prevailing wind direction, often linked to distinct wet and dry seasons.The summer monsoon brings heavy rain to India.