some places on earth have nearly 24 hours of daylight during part of the year,snd 24 hours of darkness another

Question

how is that possible

Answer 1

Because the Earth is tilted towards the sun in a way that the "axis" points towards the sun for 6 months, and away from it for the other 6 months.

Take a look at these pictures if it's hard to visualize from the way I describe it.

http://www.lpi.usra.edu/education/skytellers/day_night/images/fig2.jpg

http://www.physicalgeography.net/fundamentals/images/seasons.jpg

http://www.physicalgeography.net/fundamentals/images/earth_sun_angles.gif

Answer 2

It's because the Earth is tilted. The Earth's axis is not perpendicular to the plane of its motion, but is slightly inclined from it. So across most of the Earth, the planet's rotation carries a given location into and then out of the Sun's rays. However, close enough to the poles, the planet itself can block the Sun's rays for days at a time, or no part of the planet blocks the rays.

The Arctic and Antarctic Circles are actually defined as the boundaries of the regions that experience at least 24 straight hours of daylight in the summer and at least 24 straight hours of darkness in the winter. Close enough to the geographic poles, the cycle of days and nights is due purely to the Earth's motion around the Sun, because the Earth's rotation causes almost no translational motion, and day and night each last six months.

Answer 3

Do this. Get a globe. set it on a table. Place a flashlight on one end of the table with the top support of the globe toward the flashlight, and the flashlight pointed toward the globe and far enough to light the whole globe. Turn on the flashlight and turn off the room light. Now notice everything north of the arctic circle is lighted. Now turn the globe and observe it is lighted at all times.

Answer 4

The Earth tilts, in essence, at different times of the year. It doesn't rotate evenly, with the equator always parallel to the path of the sun's rays.

Answer 5

i have no idea........