Lesson 9 of 12 · Space

Experiment⭐ 30 XP🚀 Starbase

Why the Seasons Are Not About Distance

🧪Lab Brief #9

Why the Seasons Are Not About Distance.

🎯 Your mission

Predict it first. Then prove yourself right (or wrong).

⚡ The twist

Up there, the rules of down here stop working.

🤯

Mind = Blown

🌟 The light from the closest star (after the sun) takes 4 years to reach you.

🔮

Make a hypothesis first

Predict: what would happen on the moon vs. on Earth?

What You'll Learn

Earth is actually closest to the Sun in early January. Seasons come from the 23.5° axial tilt: the hemisphere tilted towards the Sun receives sunlight at a steeper angle and for more hours, and so warms up.

Key Words

Tap a word to see its definition.

Materials Needed

torch
graph paper
protractor
dark room

Safety First

Do not shine the torch into anyone's eyes.

Steps

Step 1 — Read

Read the explanation above and note the two key terms before you start.

Step 2 — Do

Shine a torch straight down and then at a shallow angle onto graph paper and outline the lit patch each time. Count squares to show the same light spread over more area, then relate this to winter sunlight.

Step 3 — Observe

Record what actually happened, including anything that did not match what you expected.

Step 4 — Record

Write a conclusion that answers the question this lesson opened with, and state your uncertainty.

Check Your Understanding

Question 1

1 of 2

The seasons are caused by:

How sure are you going to be?😐 maybe

🌍

Where you see this in real life

Every sunrise and every shadow is this idea in action.

🏆

Stretch Challenge

Try this in real life this week.

Look at the moon tonight. Notice its shape. Look again in 3 days.

👨‍👩‍👧

For the dinner table

“If you could visit any planet, which would you pick and why?”

🎯

Next Smart Experiment

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