R E S O U R C E L I B R A R Y M A P Solstice Solar Radiation How do the solstices reflect changes in sunlight? G R A D E S 6 - 10 S U B J E C T S Earth Science, Meteorology, Geography, Physical Geography C O N T E N T S 1 Image For the complete maps with media resources, visit: http://www.nationalgeographic.org/maps/solstice-solar-radiation/ A NASA satellite instrument, CERES, took these images in 2004 and 2005. The images are measurements of the Earth’s albedo—the amount of solar radiation reflected from Earth back into space. The CERES images show a radical difference in albedo between the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, as well as between the December and June solstices. The Southern Hemisphere reflects a tremendous amount of radiation during the December solstice (top image), while the Northern Hemisphere reflects more radiation in June. Instructional Ideas Consult National Geography Standard 7.2 (4th grade): The physical processes that shape the patterns of Earth's surface. Earth-Sun relationships affect conditions on Earth. Discuss the relationship between the position of the Earth in its orbit around the sun and changes experienced on Earth: • temperature • light • different impacts of solar radiation on land and water Questions in the "Questions" tab explore some ways solar radiation differs in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres on the solstices. Questions Why do you think the Southern Hemisphere reflects so much more solar radiation than the Northern Hemisphere during the December solstice? This illustration might help you. The Southern Hemisphere simply has more sunlight to reflect! The winter solstice is the longest day of the year in the Southern Hemisphere. This means it experiences more sunlight on this day than any other. In fact, in parts of Antarctica, there is no nighttime at all during this part of the season! The December solstice is when the Southern Hemisphere receives the maximum intensity of the sun’s rays. The angle of sunlight is greater in the Southern Hemisphere during the winter. During the June solstice, the opposite is true. The Northern Hemisphere receives the maximum intensity of the sun’s rays, while the angle of sunlight decreases in the Southern Hemisphere. When the polar region of the Northern Hemisphere is reflecting the maximum amount of sunlight (the June solstice), it doesn’t reflect nearly as much light as the polar region of the Southern Hemisphere when it reflects its maximum amount of sunlight (December solstice). Why do you think the Southern Hemisphere reflects more solar radiation? The polar region of the Southern Hemisphere is dominated by land—the continent of Antarctica. Even during the “warm” season (the December solstice), Antarctica is covered by a thick ice sheet. Ice reflects light beautifully. The polar region of the Northern Hemisphere is dominated by the ocean. During the June solstice, sea ice on the Arctic Ocean is at its minimum. Liquid water is better at absorbing, not reflecting, solar radiation. The 2013 December solstice will occur on Saturday, December 21. Will it be the shortest or longest day of the year? That depends on whether you’re in the Southern or Northern Hemisphere! It will be the shortest day of the year north of the Equator—very little sunlight will be reflected back into space. It will be the longest day of the year south of the Equator—summertime. Fast Facts According to CERES, the amount of solar energy received at the North Pole is 30% higher during the summer solstice than the amount of solar energy received at the Equator. Clouds do most of the reflecting in these NASA images. (In fact, CERES, the instrument responsible for these images, stands for Clouds and Earth’s Radiant Energy System.) Solar radiation measured by CERES includes not just the visible spectrum of light, but ultraviolet and infrared—wavelengths too short (ultraviolet) or too long (infrared) for the human eye to see. Vocabulary Part of Term Definition Speech scientific measurement of the amount of sunlight that is reflected by a albedo noun surface. hemisphere noun half of a sphere, or ball-shaped object. process of determining length, width, mass (weight), volume, distance measurementnoun or some other quality or size. (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) the U.S. space agency, NASA noun whose mission statement is "To reach for new heights and reveal the unknown so that what we do and learn will benefit all humankind." reflect verb to rebound or return light from a surface. object that orbits around something else. Satellites can be natural, like satellite noun moons, or artificial. season noun period of the year distinguished by special climatic conditions. Part of Term Definition Speech solar noun light and heat from the sun. radiation astronomical event that occurs twice a year, when the sun appears solstice noun directly overhead to observers at the Tropic of Cancer or the Tropic of Capricorn. sunlight noun visible radiation from the sun. tremendous adjectivevery large or important. Articles & Profiles National Geographic News: Summer Solstice Facts NASA Earth Observatory: Summer and Winter Solstice Instructional Content National Geographic Education: The Reason for the Seasons Websites NASA: CERES © 1996–2021 National Geographic Society. All rights reserved..