Seasons Come and Seasons Go.....
Why are summers warmer than winter? What is it winter in Australia when it is summer in Canada? What are the seasons like at the North Pole? What would our climate be like if Earth flopped over in its orbit?
Every time Earth makes one complete rotation, we experience one cycle of day and night. Every timer Earth makes one complete orbit around the Sun, we experience the cycle of one year. Within each year, we go through a cycle of changes - winter, spring, summer, and fall. Why is this?
Our distrance from the Sun does not change over the course of the year, in fact Earth is actually five million kilometres closer to the Sun in January than in July. The reason has nothing to do with Earth's distance from the Sun during its orbit, and instead relates to Earth's tilt on its axis. The tilt never changes direction, so during our summer the Northern Hemisphere is tilted toward the Sun. The Sun's rays hit the Norther Hemisphere from almost directly overhead, which makes the heat much more intense. During our winter, the opposite is true. The Northern Hemisphere tilts away from the Sun, so its rays are spread out over a much bigger area.
Every time Earth makes one complete rotation, we experience one cycle of day and night. Every timer Earth makes one complete orbit around the Sun, we experience the cycle of one year. Within each year, we go through a cycle of changes - winter, spring, summer, and fall. Why is this?
Our distrance from the Sun does not change over the course of the year, in fact Earth is actually five million kilometres closer to the Sun in January than in July. The reason has nothing to do with Earth's distance from the Sun during its orbit, and instead relates to Earth's tilt on its axis. The tilt never changes direction, so during our summer the Northern Hemisphere is tilted toward the Sun. The Sun's rays hit the Norther Hemisphere from almost directly overhead, which makes the heat much more intense. During our winter, the opposite is true. The Northern Hemisphere tilts away from the Sun, so its rays are spread out over a much bigger area.
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