Polar night

High school (ages 12+)
Environment & Earth

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/polar-night

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the earth's axial tilt?Approximately 23.5 degrees, causing seasonal variations in solar illumination
2. What is the atmospheric refraction?Bends sunlight, making the geometric polar day longer than polar night
3. Why does polar night only happen in the polar circles?The Earth tilts 23.5° toward the Sun. In the polar circles the tilt is so strong that the sun never reaches the horizon during winter. This only happens at those high latitudes.
4. How long can polar night last at the poles?At the North or South Pole it can last about six months. The sun stays below the horizon from late autumn to late spring.

Axial Tilt: The angle of a planet's rotational axis relative to its orbital plane, causing seasons.
Polar Circles: Latitudes (66.5° N/S) marking the boundaries where polar day and polar night occur.
Atmospheric Refraction: The bending of light rays as they pass through the Earth's atmosphere.