Lesson 4.1.1 - The Cycle of Day and Night

Day and night occur because of Earth’s rotation. Every 24 hours the earth rotates, or spins on its axis, once. This axis is an imaginary line through the earth between the North Pole and South Pole. As the earth rotates, different areas of its surface will face toward or away from the sun. The part of earth facing the sun will have daylight, while the part facing away from the sun will have night. By the end of this lesson, you should be able to answer and discuss the following: What causes the cycle of day and night on Earth? When it is day on one side of the earth, what is happening on the other side? How does Earth’s rotation affect the way we view the sun, the stars, and the planets around us?