GEOG 1010 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Subsolar Point, Solar Wind, Solar Mass
Document Summary
Planetesimal hypothesis- solar system formed from a large, slowly rotating nebula. January 3rd,(perihelion) as close as to the sun as we can be. July 4th,(aphelion) as far from the sun as possible. Sun, contains 99. 9% of all matter from original nebula, solar mass is converted to energy by fusion of hydrogen atoms, it emits charged particles called solar wind. Northern lights: interaction of solar winds with atmospheric gases, only happens at high latitudes as. Seasons :are not a direct result of distance from the sun. Seasonality: refers to the variation in the suns altitude (angle above the horizon) and the changing length of daylight that occurs over the year. Highest angle sun can achieve anywhere is at noon time. Insolation(incoming solar radiation) reaches a maximum when the sun is at the subsolar point, or directly overhead. Changes in daylength and the sun"s altitude above the horizon over the course of the year are responsible for the seasons.
