Day and night are caused by the Earth's rotation on its axis. As the Earth spins, different parts of the planet face the Sun or turn away from it, creating periods of daylight and darkness. When a specific area of the Earth faces the Sun, it experiences daytime, and when it faces away, it experiences nighttime.
Explanation of the Process
- The Earth rotates once approximately every 24 hours on its imaginary line called an axis, which runs from the North to the South Pole.
- Because of this rotation, the Sun's light illuminates only half of the Earth at a time, while the other half remains in darkness.
- As the Earth continues to rotate, the illuminated side moves in and out of the Sun's light, causing the cycle of day and night.
Effect of Earth's Tilt
- The Earth's axis is tilted at about 23.5 degrees, which also influences the length of day and night throughout the year, resulting in longer days during summer and shorter days during winter.
Summary
- Day and night are simply the result of Earth's rotation, with half of the planet facing the Sun (day) and the other half facing away (night).
This rotation and tilt combine to create the regular cycle of day and night that shapes life on Earth.
