What Makes Day And Night (1947)

[Applause] what makes night where does the Sun go why is night always followed by day does all the world have daylight when we do what makes day Jim Lewis and his sister Jane have wondered about these questions so they've asked Dad to tell them about day and night dad says to understand day and night we must first know what the earth looks like the Earth is like a big round globe it is always turning making one complete turn every 24 hours of course the Earth doesn't have a real Rod running through it like this but people speak as though it has they say the Earth turns on its axis this axis is an imaginary Rod which runs through the Earth from the North Pole at the top to the South Pole at the bottom this constant turning of the Earth on its axis one complete turn every 24 hours makes day and night to show how it does this dad first finds the place where Jane and Jim live and marks it on the globe with this little flag then Dad says the room should be dark so let's pull down the window shades to keep out the sunlight now is it like day or night on our globe it's like night that's right Jane and where does the light that makes Day come from I know the sun yes Jim the Sun so let's pretend this flashlight is the Sun for our globe the real Sun of course is ever so much larger and brighter than our flashlight now with our flashlight shining on the earth is it like day or night it's like day over the whole earth no this half is dark like night will that side always stay dark no every part of the Earth has both day and night how does the dark side get daylight does the sun move around there I know the sun doesn't move around there the Earth turns the globe should be turning yes the globe should be turning because the Earth is always turning so Jane suppose you turn the globe but which way hey the Earth always turns towards the east can you tell in which direction that is well North is always at the top of the globe so this direction must be East right Jane now with the globe turning correctly to the east let's watch for our flag there it is and what time of day is it it's nearly morning yes we are leaving the darkness of Night and the Sun is just beginning to light our city as our part of the Earth turns out of night into daylight it sunrise and we start another day if we were on the globe and looking Eastward we would see the Sun seem to rise just as it does each morning but we'd know that the sun wasn't really Rising that it was the Earth's turning Eastward into the light that makes it seem as if the sun were rising in the country farmers are already at work out of in the fields or around the Barns and in the city children are getting out of bed having breakfast with Mother and Dad starting out from home to join their classmates on the way to school and as the Earth turns our city moves through morning until it is almost directly under the sun this is noon the brightest time of the day noon is a busy time for most of us city streets are crowded with people leaving their places of work to have their lunch then the afternoon begins and as the Earth turns further it gets later in the day for us it's now about 3:00 that's when we get out of school and that's the time too when we have fun playing games with our friends yes and soon dad will be coming home from work and daytime will be nearly over now our city is about out of the Sun's light and we are starting night the sun seems to set lower in the Western sky and darkness comes over our part of the world if once more we were on the globe but looking Westward this time we would see the Sun seem to set just as it does each evening but we know that the sun isn't really setting it is the Earth turning away from the sun in into the darkness we have night in darkness because our part of the Earth has turned away from the light of the Sun in our part of the world it is now night and people here are in bed sleeping but while we are asleep in our city around the earth from us in Hawaii it is late afternoon nearly Sunset that part of the earth is still in the light of the sun here people are ending their day's work in the fields of sugar can and going home for supper and still further around the earth to the West it is full daylight in China it is noon and the Sun is overhead while we are sleeping these Chinese boys and girls are outdoors in the sunlight playing games having fun during their noon recess from classes still further around the earth it is just sunrise this part of the world is turning into the light of the sun here in Poland it is getting light and children are just waking up from their night's sleep to begin their day in the field helping father thus while one half of the earth is having daytime the other half is having night and every part of the Earth has both day and night because the Earth is always turning the sun is always shining now Jane and Jim know what makes gives life on one Earth One the time American children leing nor of the globe in other parts of the world Hawaiian children are leaving their fields at us Chinese children are playing in the Sun at noon and polish children are just waking up in the morning besides learning more for yourself about day and night there are many other interesting things you can learn as you study our turning Earth down