Maps and globes have all kinds of signs and symbols. Often they have certain lines, too. Nearly every map and globe of the world has one very important line. It’s called the equator. An imaginary line called the equator lies around the middle of the earth. The equator divides the earth into the Northern and Southern hemispheres, or halves. The word hemisphere means “half of a sphere or ball”.
North of the equator is an imaginary line called the Tropic of Cancer. South of the equator is another line called the Tropic of Capricorn. Both lines are named after groups of stars. The areas between the equator and these two lines are called the tropics. Once a year the sun is directly over the Tropic of Cancer. That marks the first day of summer in the Northern Hemisphere. Once a year, the sun is directly over the Tropic of Capricorn. That marks the first day of summer in the Southern Hemisphere.
When it is summer where you live, where is it winter? To find out, look at a globe. The Northern Hemisphere and the Southern Hemisphere are on opposite sides of the equator. For this reason, when it is the first day of summer in the Northern Hemisphere, it is the first day of winter in the Southern Hemisphere. And when it is the first day of winter in the Northern Hemisphere, it is the first day of summer in the Southern Hemisphere.
Picture Credit : Google
