Latitude and Longitude

Prime Meridian

The meridian, designated at 0° longitude, which passes through the Royal Observatory at Greenwich, England.

Longitude

The numbering system used to indicate the location of meridians drawn on a globe and measuring distance east and west of the prime meridian (0°).

Latitude

The numbering system used to indicate the location of parallels drawn on a globe and measuring distance north and south of the equator.

Southern Hemisphere

The part of the earth from the equator to the South Pole, numbered 0-90 degrees latitude.

Global Grid

The pattern of longitude and latitude lines on a map

Western Hemisphere

West of the Prime Meridian

Tropic of cancer

a line of latitude 23.5 degrees North of the equator

Equator

an imaginary line drawn around the earth equally distant from both poles, dividing the earth into northern and southern hemispheres and constituting the parallel of latitude 0°.

Temperate Zones

areas located from about 23.5° to 66.5° north and south latitudes Climate zones with moderate temperatures that are located between the tropics and the polar zones Seasons are located here

Tropical Zones

between 23 1/2 degrees N and 23 1/2 degrees S warm climate zone that receives direct or nearly direct sunlight year round

International Dateline

is an imaginary line of longitude 180° (degrees) east or west of the Prime Meridian. The International Date Line is where each new day begins.

Earths Revolution

is one orbit around the sun 365 days reason for season 4

Meridians

reference lines which run north and south - used in rectangular survey system to locate land

Vernal Equinox

the day of the year that marks the beginning of spring in the northern hemisphere

Summer Solstice

Day with the most hours of sunlight and the fewest hours of darkness the solstice that marks the onset of summer, at the time of the longest day, about June 21 in the northern hemisphere and December 22 in the southern hemisphere.

Winter Solstice

Earth's position near or on December 21, at which the northern hemisphere has its minimum daylight hours

Eastern Hemisphere

East of the Prime Meridian

Tropic of capircorn

23.5 degrees S

Time Zones

24 hour zones that 1,000 miles apart from the other, each one is an hour before or after the one next to it, helps to differentiate between the differnt times from one point on the Earth to another point.

arctic circle

66.5 degrees North The Arctic Circle marks the latitude above which the sun does not set on the summer solstice, and does not rise on the winter solstice.

antarctic circle

Latitude at approx. 66(degrees)S of the equator that marks the approximate limit south of which the sun remains above the horizon all day on the summer solstice.

Parallels

Lines of latitude.

Autumnal Equinox

the equinox in autumn, on about September 22 in the northern hemisphere and March 20 in the southern hemisphere. September 22-23, sun is directly overhead the equator at noon, 12 hour daylight/12 hour night, first day of fall, sun's rays most directly strike the equator, Earth's tilt points at right angle to the sun

Northern Hemisphere

the hemisphere north of the equator

Polar Zones

the regions north of the Arctic Circle (66.5° N) and south of the Antarctic Circle (66.5° S), that receive the smallest amount of direct sunlight year-round No seasons