Day and night

In a nutshell

The Earth takes $24 \ hours$ to complete one rotation on its axis. When parts of the Earth face the Sun it is daytime. When they are in shadow it is nighttime. The Sun appears to move east to west, but it is the Earth's rotation which causes this illusion.

Day and night

Day is when the Sun appears in the sky, and night is when it is not. It takes the Earth $24 \ hours$ to complete one full rotation, which is how one full day (day and night) is defined.

One half of the Earth is always facing the Sun, and one half is always in shadow. As the Earth rotates, different parts of the Earth face the Sun, which is daytime. Other parts will not face the Sun, which is nighttime.

Science; Earth and space; KS2 Year 5; Day and night

1.	Equator
2.	Earth's Axis
3.	Day time
4.	Night time
5.	Sun rays

When it is $12 \ pm$ in the UK, it is not necessarily the same time in other parts of the world. This is due to Earths rotation, and the position of other countries. Therefore, some countries will already have experienced midday before you do and others will still be in the early hours of the morning.

Example

evulpo HQ is in Switzerland, which is $1 \ hour$ ahead of the UK. This means that when it is midday in the UK, it is $1 \ pm$ in Switzerland!

The Sun in the sky

The Sun appears to move in the sky, but it is actually the Earth rotating that causes this impression. The Sun rises in the East, and sets in the West. This is due to the direction in which the Earth is rotating.

During the summer, the Sun also appears higher in the sky in the UK. This is because the Earth is rotating at an angle, also known as its axis. During the summer in the UK, the North Pole will be tilted towards the Sun, and in the winter it will be tilted away.

Science; Earth and space; KS2 Year 5; Day and night

1.	East
2.	West
3.	Summer
4.	Winter
5.	Sunrise
6.	Sunset

The stars in the sky

At nighttime, the stars also appear to move, due to the Earth's rotation. During different seasons, the stars in the sky will change. This is because the Earth is now at a different point in its journey around the Sun. You are actually seeing a whole new set of stars.