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Why the Sun Seems to Move Across the Sky · Earth in Motion · 5-ESS1-2 · apparent motion

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Why the Sun Seems to Move Across the Sky

with Nova

Nova stands on a grassy hilltop at sunrise, holding a spinning globe in both hands and pointing excitedly at the orange Sun just peeking above the eastern horizon.

Explain why the Sun appears to rise in the east and set in the west each day.
Identify Earth's rotation as the cause of the Sun's apparent path across the sky.
Compare the real motion of Earth spinning to the observed motion of the Sun in the sky.
Predict where the Sun will be in the morning, at midday, and in the evening.
Describe one way to observe the Sun's apparent movement safely using shadows.

Key terms

Rotation: When Earth spins around like a top.
Axis: The invisible line Earth spins around.
East: The side where the Sun rises.
West: The side where the Sun sets.

The Sun Stays Still

The Sun is a giant star that sits at the center of our solar system. It stays in one place while Earth travels around it. During one day, the Sun looks like it slides across the sky from one side to the other. But the Sun is not really moving across our sky. Something else is moving, and that something is Earth itself spinning.

Earth Spins Us Around

Earth spins like a top, one full spin every 24 hours. As Earth turns, your part of Earth faces the Sun, so you see it rise in the east. The Sun climbs higher until midday, then your part turns away and the Sun seems to sink in the west. You are riding on the spinning Earth, even though you cannot feel it move at all.

Worked examples

It is early morning. Where is the Sun in the sky?

In the morning your part of Earth is just turning toward the Sun.
The Sun appears low near the side where it rises.

Answer: The Sun is low in the east in the morning.

Hey, I'm Nova — and I have a question for you: does the Sun actually move across the sky, or does something else cause that to happen? Here's the real story. The Sun is a giant star sitting at the center of our solar system. It stays in one place while Earth travels around it. But during a single day, it looks like the Sun slides from one side of the sky to the other. Why? The answer is Earth's rotation. Earth spins like a top — one full spin every 24 hours. Earth spins around an invisible line running through its center called its axis, the same way a spinning top spins around its center point. You are riding on Earth right now, even though you can't feel it. As Earth spins, different parts of its surface turn to face the Sun. When your part of Earth turns toward the Sun, you see it rise in the east. As Earth keeps spinning, the Sun appears to climb higher in the sky. By midday, the Sun is highest above you. Then, as your part of Earth spins away, the Sun appears to sink and finally set in the west. Here's a great way to see this without looking at the Sun directly — never look straight at the Sun! Instead, go outside on a sunny day and use a stick in the ground. Watch the shadow the stick makes. In the morning, the shadow points west (long and stretching away from the rising Sun). At noon, the shadow is short and points north (if you live north of the equator). In the afternoon, the shadow points east. The changing shadow shows you how Earth's spin is changing which direction the Sun's light hits the stick. Remember: the Sun is NOT moving around Earth. Earth is spinning on its axis, and that spin makes the Sun appear to travel from east to west.

Activity

Drag each Sun card to the correct position in the sky for that time of day.

Practice

Explain why the Sun seems to move across the sky.

Tell where the Sun appears at midday in the sky.

Common mistakes to avoid

The Sun moves around EarthEarth spinning on its axis makes the Sun only appear to move.

Check your understanding

Why does the Sun appear to move from east to west across the sky each day?

A student says the Sun rises in the east because the Sun starts each day on that side of Earth and moves toward the west. What is wrong with this idea?

You put a stick in the ground on a sunny morning and notice its shadow points toward the west. What will happen to the shadow by late afternoon?

Recap

The Sun stays in place while Earth spins on its axis every 24 hours. That spin makes the Sun appear to rise in the east and set in the west.

Reflect

Where is the Sun in the sky right now where you are?