Tilt of Earth's Equator: Arctic, Antarctic, Tropics

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In summary, the latitudes of the Arctic and Antarctic Circles and the two Tropics are determined by the tilt of the planet's equator relative to its orbit. If the tilt was 177.4◦ (like Venus) instead of 23.5◦, the latitudes of these circles would also change. The Arctic and Antarctic Circles mark the limits where the Sun can appear above or below the horizon for an entire day, while the Tropics represent the greatest deviation from the equator where the Sun can appear directly overhead on the Solstices. To understand this concept better, one can draw a circle representing the Earth and tilt lines at different angles to see the intersections and compare them to the Earth's
  • #1
mozartkart
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Homework Statement



Suppose the tilt of Earth’s equator relative to its orbit were 177.4◦ (like Venus) instead of
23.5◦. At what latitudes would the Arctic and Antarctic Circles and the two Tropics be lo-
cated?


Homework Equations



N/A


The Attempt at a Solution



I would like someone to help me make a mental image or reword this for me as this is probably the easiest question on a large astrophysics assignment I have but I am having trouble picturing this and understand how Venus's retrograde motion works.
 
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  • #2
mozartkart said:

Homework Statement



Suppose the tilt of Earth’s equator relative to its orbit were 177.4◦ (like Venus) instead of
23.5◦. At what latitudes would the Arctic and Antarctic Circles and the two Tropics be lo-
cated?


Homework Equations



N/A


The Attempt at a Solution



I would like someone to help me make a mental image or reword this for me as this is probably the easiest question on a large astrophysics assignment I have but I am having trouble picturing this and understand how Venus's retrograde motion works.

The latitudes of these great circles are related to the tilt of the planet.

For example, if the inclination from the vertical is i, then the tropics are at latitudes +/- i. These circles represent the greatest deviation from the equator where the Sun can appear directly overhead; i.e. the circle of greatest altitude of the Sun, occurring on the Solstices.

The arctic and antarctic circles are the limits where the Sun can be above the horizon or below the horizon for an entire day.

Draw a circle representing the Earth and draw lines through the center tilted 23.5° to the horizontal (+ and - 23.5°). Their intersection with the circle represents the limits of the Sun's maximal excursion North and South for being directly overhead; those are the Tropical limits.

Do the same with lines tilted 23.5° from the vertical. These lines intersect the surface at the limits of the arctic circles.

Now draw a new circle and draw lines with tilts of +/- 177.4° . Note the intersections and compare to those for the Earth's circle.

The remaining questions are how do you designate North and South poles to name the arctic versus the antarctic circles, and what will be the naming convention for the Tropical latitudes, which were originally astrologically named from an Earth perspective (in which constellations is the Sun when it reaches the solstices?).
 
  • #3
gneill said:
The latitudes of these great circles are related to the tilt of the planet.

For example, if the inclination from the vertical is i, then the tropics are at latitudes +/- i. These circles represent the greatest deviation from the equator where the Sun can appear directly overhead; i.e. the circle of greatest altitude of the Sun, occurring on the Solstices.

The arctic and antarctic circles are the limits where the Sun can be above the horizon or below the horizon for an entire day.

Draw a circle representing the Earth and draw lines through the center tilted 23.5° to the horizontal (+ and - 23.5°). Their intersection with the circle represents the limits of the Sun's maximal excursion North and South for being directly overhead; those are the Tropical limits.

Do the same with lines tilted 23.5° from the vertical. These lines intersect the surface at the limits of the arctic circles.

Now draw a new circle and draw lines with tilts of +/- 177.4° . Note the intersections and compare to those for the Earth's circle.

The remaining questions are how do you designate North and South poles to name the arctic versus the antarctic circles, and what will be the naming convention for the Tropical latitudes, which were originally astrologically named from an Earth perspective (in which constellations is the Sun when it reaches the solstices?).

Thank you for your help, this was really easy to picture and made my point of view much clearer. Have a great day/night :D
 

What is the tilt of the Earth's equator?

The Earth's equator has a tilt of 23.5 degrees relative to its orbital plane.

What are the Arctic, Antarctic, and Tropics?

The Arctic, Antarctic, and Tropics are three regions defined by their distance from the Earth's equator. The Arctic is located at the North Pole, the Antarctic at the South Pole, and the Tropics lie between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn.

How does the Earth's tilt affect the seasons?

The Earth's tilt causes the amount of sunlight received by different parts of the Earth to vary throughout the year, resulting in the change of seasons. When a hemisphere is tilted toward the sun, it receives more direct sunlight and experiences summer, while the other hemisphere is tilted away and experiences winter.

Does the Earth's tilt change over time?

Yes, the Earth's tilt changes slightly over time due to gravitational forces from other planets. This phenomenon is known as axial precession and occurs over a period of approximately 26,000 years.

How does the Earth's tilt affect climate?

The Earth's tilt plays a significant role in determining climate patterns. Areas near the equator receive more direct sunlight and tend to have warmer climates, while areas near the poles receive less sunlight and have colder climates. The tilt also affects the distribution of sunlight, precipitation, and temperature, which all contribute to the Earth's overall climate.

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