The year
The seasons give the year.
A bigger cycle
The seasons come and go and repeat.
What is the time for one cycle of seasons called?
What this lesson covers
The idea
Earth takes nearly 365¼ days to revolve once around the Sun, passing through one cycle of seasons, and this defines a solar year.
A bigger cycle
The seasons come and go and repeat.
What is the time for one cycle of seasons called?
- A year
- A day
- A month
Round the Sun
Press Next step.
A solar year
The Earth revolves around the Sun and takes nearly 365 and a quarter days. During this time it has one cycle of seasons. This is used to define the solar year.
The Earth takes nearly 365¼ days to revolve once around the Sun, passing through one cycle of seasons: a solar year.
Notes
Solar year ≈ 365¼ days = one cycle of seasons.
Check yourself
About how many days does the Earth take to go once around the Sun?
Answer: 365.25 days
Nearly 365 and a quarter days.
One cycle of seasons defines a …
The Earth revolves around the …
A solar year is based on the …
- lunar month. The month comes from the Moon's phases.
- day. The day comes from the Earth's rotation.
- solar year — correct. Yes!
- Sun — correct. Yes!
- Moon. The Moon goes around the Earth.
- stars only. The Earth revolves around the Sun.
- phases of the Moon. That is the month.
- seasons — correct. Yes!
- height of a shadow. The solar year is based on the seasons.