1 00:00:03,237 --> 00:00:06,974 [music playing] 2 00:00:06,974 --> 00:00:09,309 - Did you know that the Sun is a star? 3 00:00:09,309 --> 00:00:12,946 It's actually a star like stars that you see in the night sky. 4 00:00:12,946 --> 00:00:15,115 But it's brighter than those other stars 5 00:00:15,115 --> 00:00:18,385 because it's closer to us than any other star. 6 00:00:18,385 --> 00:00:22,122 Let's go meet Dr. Alex Young and Dr. Nicki Viall. 7 00:00:22,122 --> 00:00:24,458 I know that the Sun is our closest star, 8 00:00:24,458 --> 00:00:27,127 but just how far away is it? 9 00:00:27,127 --> 00:00:28,395 - Well, it's pretty far away. 10 00:00:28,395 --> 00:00:31,064 It's 93 million miles away. 11 00:00:31,064 --> 00:00:33,367 - And at that distance, it takes about eight minutes 12 00:00:33,367 --> 00:00:36,003 for the Sun's light to reach the Earth. 13 00:00:36,003 --> 00:00:38,172 - I know that the Sun rises and sets, 14 00:00:38,172 --> 00:00:40,440 but where does it go when I can't see it? 15 00:00:40,440 --> 00:00:42,543 - Well, the Sun doesn't actually go anywhere. 16 00:00:42,543 --> 00:00:44,845 The Sun is always in the center of the solar system. 17 00:00:44,845 --> 00:00:47,948 - So, that time it takes for the Earth to rotate 18 00:00:47,948 --> 00:00:51,051 is 24 hours, and that's what we call a day. 19 00:00:51,051 --> 00:00:53,487 - If Earth's rotation causes day and night, 20 00:00:53,487 --> 00:00:54,922 what causes seasons? 21 00:00:54,922 --> 00:00:56,256 - So, the seasons happen 22 00:00:56,256 --> 00:00:58,859 because the Earth revolves around the Sun. 23 00:00:58,859 --> 00:01:01,195 It travels all the way around the Sun and comes back. 24 00:01:01,195 --> 00:01:02,529 - And the other thing that you're gonna find 25 00:01:02,529 --> 00:01:04,331 is that, when you look out at the sky, 26 00:01:04,331 --> 00:01:07,734 the location of the Sun changes from day to day. 27 00:01:07,734 --> 00:01:10,771 And so its position is changing over the year. 28 00:01:10,771 --> 00:01:12,472 Also, you might think 29 00:01:12,472 --> 00:01:15,776 that it's because the Earth is closer to the Sun 30 00:01:15,776 --> 00:01:17,845 that we have summer, and farther away 31 00:01:17,845 --> 00:01:19,947 to give us winter, but it turns out, 32 00:01:19,947 --> 00:01:21,648 it's actually something different. 33 00:01:21,648 --> 00:01:25,319 It's not only the fact that we have the Earth rotating 34 00:01:25,319 --> 00:01:29,223 and revolving, but it's tilted on its axis. 35 00:01:29,223 --> 00:01:31,358 - We'll have you be the Sun. 36 00:01:31,358 --> 00:01:33,861 Up here now, it's summertime 37 00:01:33,861 --> 00:01:35,229 in the Northern Hemisphere 38 00:01:35,229 --> 00:01:36,964 because the Northern Hemisphere is receiving 39 00:01:36,964 --> 00:01:40,601 more direct sun rays from the Sun. 40 00:01:40,601 --> 00:01:43,070 Down here, it's the wintertime because those sun rays 41 00:01:43,070 --> 00:01:46,073 are indirect, or less direct than up here. 42 00:01:46,073 --> 00:01:50,177 - So, because of the rotation of the Earth, 43 00:01:50,177 --> 00:01:52,513 the tilt of the Earth, 44 00:01:52,513 --> 00:01:55,382 and its revolution around the Sun... 45 00:01:55,382 --> 00:01:58,085 - We get the observable patterns like day and night, 46 00:01:58,085 --> 00:02:00,053 and the seasons. 47 00:02:00,053 --> 00:02:02,256 - Check out this NASA website to learn more 48 00:02:02,256 --> 00:02:05,425 about the connection between the Sun and our world. 49 00:02:05,425 --> 00:02:07,127 See you next time. 50 00:02:07,127 --> 00:02:13,133 [music playing]