The true shape of the Earth is an Oblate Spheroid.
 
 
The best model of the Earth at any reasonable scale is a perfect circle.
 
 
The altitude of Polaris equals your latitude.
 
 
Latitude lines are drawn east-west and measure angular distance north and south.
 
 
Longitude lines are drawn north-south, and measure angular distances east and west.
 
 
Longitude is based on observations of the sun.
 

NOT TO SCALE

 
The earth rotates from west to east (24 hours).
 
WEST EAST
 
The earth revolves counterclockwise (365.26 days) when viewed from above the North Pole.
 

click here to restart the animation below

NOT TO SCALE

 
The sun appears to rise in the east and set in the west.
 

NOT TO SCALE

 
The moon has phases because the angle between the earth and moon changes because the moon revolves around us (remember though that half is always lit).
 

click here to restart the animation below

NOT TO SCALE

We can only see half of the moon at a time and half of the moon is always lit.
The red line shows the half of the moon that we can see in relation to each of its phases.

 

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