| Sunlight
on the Winter
Solstice Looking at Latitudes |
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for a larger photo showing the sun hitting the southernmost point
on the winter solstice. |
Students may be surprised to see that the sun in this photo from Alaska is so low in the sky at noon on the winter solstice. What's happening? On the winter solstice, the sun appears at its southernmost point in the year. The further north you are from the equator on the winter solstice, the lower the sun appears on the horizon. (At the north pole, there is no daylight on the winter solstice.) The low angle of the sun also causes shadows to appear longer! As you head toward the equator (lower latitudes), the sunlight appears higher on the horizon.
After the winter solstice, students should begin to notice that the sun gets gradually higher in the sky. The sunlight in the U.S. and Canada hits the Earth at less of an angle. This more direct sunlight (combined with longer days) delivers more energy; this warms up our atmosphere and triggers the wave of spring.
- Handout:
For Journal Questions
- Try
This! How
High is Your Solstice Sun?
- Link: In this interactive animation, students can explore how the sun's rays hit different parts of the Earth at different angles throughout the year. (It may take a few minutes to load.)
