what are imaginary lines that are on north and south pole of earth
Answers
Hy
Prime meridian ..........
Answer:
Other useful, but imaginary, lines around Earth that are parallel to the Equator are called lines of latitude. They are numbered from 0° to 90°. The one at 0° is the equator itself.
You may have noticed two special lines of latitude on a globe of the world: One in the Northern Hemisphere called the Tropic of Cancer at +23.5° latitude and one in the Southern Hemisphere called the Tropic of Capricorn at − 23.5° latitude.
These are the latitudes where the Sun is directly overhead at noon once a year. In the Northern hemisphere, on the Tropic of Cancer, that is the Summer Solstice, usually June 21. In the Southern Hemisphere, on the Tropic of Capricorn,
Globe showing rays of sunlight hitting Earth at Summer Solstice, perpendicular to Tropic of Cancer line in Northern Hemisphere.
The Sun is directly overhead at "high-noon" on Summer Solstice at the latitude called the Tropic of Cancer.
Globe showing rays of sunlight hitting Earth at Winter Solstice, perpendicular to Tropic of Capricorn line in Southern Hemisphere.
The Sun is directly overhead at "high-noon" on Winter Solstice at the latitude called the Tropic of Capricorn.
The Sun is directly overhead at "high-noon" on the equator twice per year, at the two equinoxes. Spring (or Vernal) Equinox is usually March 20, and Fall (or Autumnal) equinox is usually September 22. Except at the equator, the equinoxes are the only dates with equal daylight and dark. At the equator, all days of the year have the same number of hours of light and dark.
Between the two tropics zones, which includes the equator, the Sun is directly overhead twice per year. Outside the tropic zones, whether to the south or north, the Sun is never directly overhead.
Drawing of Earth orbit around Sun showing sunlight angles at solstices and equinoxes.
Two other significant lines of latitude are the Arctic Circle (around the North Pole) and the Antarctic Circle (around the South Pole). These circles are as far from the poles as the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn are from the equator. On the Arctic Circle, the Sun does not set at all on the Summer Solstice. On that one day, the Sun traces a complete circle just above the horizon as the Earth rotates. On the Antarctic Circle, the Sun does not set at all on the Winter Solstice.
Cartoon of boy standing on Arctic Circle, with Suns all around on horizon, marked with different hours of the day and night.
As you go closer to the poles, you have more and more days when the Sun does not set (or rise), until, at the poles, the Sun remains above or below the horizon for six months at a time.
Flat, snow-covered expanse with horizon and sunny blue sky above.
A webcam at the North Pole captured this picture on June 21, 2010.
Image is entirely dark.
A webcam at the South Pole captured this picture on June 18, 2010, at high noon.
More than "imaginary" to GOES . . .
The equator is a very important "imaginary line" for the GOES and GOES-R weather satellites. They orbit exactly above the equator, at a very great distance (22,300 miles), which allows them to make just one orbit per day.
Animated graphic shows satellite orbiting above equator at same rate as Earth is turning.
They "hover" over one point on Earth's equator. That way, they have a full view of almost one-half of Earth and can keep a continual watch on developing weather. Find out more about satellite orbits.
Tropic of Cancer? Tropic of Capricorn? Who came up with those names?
These names were thought up about 2,000 years ago. At that time, the Sun was in the direction of the constellation Cancer at the Summer Solstice in June. However, this is no longer true. Earth’s axis wobbles a bit, slowly changing the direction in which it points.
Drawing of Earth with small circle representing path North Pole traces over 26,000 years.
Over 26,000 years, the axis traces out a small cone shape. At this time, the Sun is in Taurus or Gemini (depending on where you draw the boundary between them) at the Summer Solstice. The word "tropic" itself comes from the Greek τροπή (tropi), meaning turn, referring to the fact that the sun appears to "turn back" at the solstices.
Chart of the zodiac with 12 constellations around the outside of a circle and the Sun in the center. Earth is shown on a line opposite Cancer.
In this chart of the zodiac, the Sun is in the constellation Cancer.
When the Tropic of Capricorn was named, the Sun was entering the constellation Capricorn at the Winter Solstice in December. In modern times the Sun appears in the constellation Sagittarius during this time.
Hottest Day of Year Too?
Cartoon sun.
Summer solstice is the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. That part of Earth receives more sunlight than on any other day of the year. Then shouldn’t that day be the hottest?