This animation shows all of the planets orbiting the Sun. Notice that they travel at different speeds and that their orbits are of different shapes.
What it doesn't show is that they all orbit the Sun on the same plane [on the same level].
What this picture shows is the relative sizes of the planets [how many times bigger they are] to each other.
However, what it doesn't do is show the effect the distance between the planets has on how we see them. This video-clip explains it brilliantly.
This is how we see the Sun in the sky although we know it is many times bigger than the Earth.
Sunlight travels in straight parallel lines and the Earth is curved so any direct sunlight should only hit the Equator the rest will be spread out.
As sunlight is also heat the more direct the sunlight the greater the heat. The more spread out the less the heat.
We know the Earth has a tilt and therefore the direct sunlight and heat moves between the Equator and the tropics as is shown in this animation.
The UK is just below the E of Arctic CirclE, the white dotted line near the top of the Earth.
The tilt is always in the same direction so whether it's Summer or Winter the sunshine in the UK is always from the south.
So what should you have learned?.....
That all of the planets orbiting the Sun travel at different speeds and that their orbits are of different shapes.
That they all orbit the Sun on the same plane
That the distance between the planets has an effect on how we see them.
That the Sun is many times bigger than the Earth even though it looks small in the sky.
That light travels from the Sun in straight parallel lines.
That the Earth is curved and therefore direct sunlight should only hit the Equator and any other light is spread out.
As sunlight is also heat the more direct the sunlight the greater the heat.
Earth has a tilt and therefore the direct sunlight and heat moves between the Equator and the tropics.
The Sun in the UK is always shining from the south.
That they all orbit the Sun on the same plane
That the distance between the planets has an effect on how we see them.
That the Sun is many times bigger than the Earth even though it looks small in the sky.
That light travels from the Sun in straight parallel lines.
That the Earth is curved and therefore direct sunlight should only hit the Equator and any other light is spread out.
As sunlight is also heat the more direct the sunlight the greater the heat.
Earth has a tilt and therefore the direct sunlight and heat moves between the Equator and the tropics.
The Sun in the UK is always shining from the south.
Click on each of the sentences to see a picture to help you with your understanding. Click again to hide the picture.