Reasons for Seasons

• TEKSGEOGRAPHY- The student understands the concept of region3 A.B A) attribute occurrences of weather phenomena and climate to annual changes in Earth-Sun relationships; and (B) describe physical environment of regions and the physical processes that affect these regions such as weather, tectonic forces, wave action, freezing and thawing, gravity, and soil-building processes.

Summer Solstice

• June 20-21 is a very important day for our planet and its relationship with the sun. June 20-21 is one of two solstices, days when the rays of the sun directly strike one of the two tropical latitude lines. June 21 marks the beginning of summer in the northern hemisphere and simultaneously heralds the beginning of winter in the southern hemisphere.

Winter Solstice

• The winter solstice marks the shortest day and the longest night of the year. The sun appears at its lowest point in the sky, and its noontime elevation appears to be the same for several days before and after the solstice.

Equinox

• Two Equinoxes a year.

• Equal day and night.• Pg 31 in Text• Equinoxes occur

on/about March 21st and September 22nd.

Total Solar Eclipse of 21 June 2001 from Zimbabwe

See Richard Monk’swebpage on eclipses:www.williams.edu/astronomy/IAU_eclipses/

Bailey’s Beads

Solar Corona

“Diamond Ring”