For example The Sun/ The Moon? This is their question.
2006-09-07 13:55:10 · 13 answers · asked by Jada1989 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Weather
have you not noticed how high the sun gets in the sky in summer.
Because the tilt of the Earth (23.5 deg) means that in mid-summer the sun is directly overhead latitudes 23.5 north and 23.5 south, depending on which hemisphere is in summer.
The summer is warmer then because:
1. The sun being higher in the sky, has less atmosphere to pass through
2. The sun being higher in the sky, means that its radiation is more concentrated - e.g., when you shine a torch straight down on the ground, it makes a much more concentrated bright ring than if you shine it 10 feet in front of you.
3. The tilt towards the sun in summer means that in the course of the day, you spend longer than 12 hours in sunlight. This gets more extreme the further away from the Equator you get, such that Polar regions (within 23.5 deg of pole) have days when the sun does not set at all.
If you see a graphical representation of this, it becomes quite obvious. Go to a big museum, they often have models that show it. Or better still, go to a planetarium.
PS - the very slight change in distance from the sun at different times of the year has NOTHING to do with the seasons. Please do not confuse your kids with some of the people who guess the answers on this forum.
2006-09-07 16:28:12 · answer #1 · answered by nick s 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
First of all Earth's distance from the sun does NOT control the seasons. In winter Earth is closest to the sun, and in summer it's farthest away.
Our seasons happen because Earth is tilted on its axis about 23-degrees. Because of this tilt, as Earth moves around the sun the intensity of solar energy varies throughout the year. See this website for a very good animated graphic ==>http://janus.astro.umd.edu/astro/seasons/
2006-09-07 19:02:40 · answer #2 · answered by Chug-a-Lug 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Our distance from the sun and the inclination of the earths axis controls our seasons..
We are 93 million miles from the sun MOL, but our orbit is elliptical. The tilt is constant 66 degrees MOL and always at the same relationship to the sun. Draw pictures and you will see why the seasons are controlled by the length of sunlight and the distance from the source of heat.
2006-09-08 15:04:13 · answer #3 · answered by Joseph 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
As the earth orbits around the sun, the tilt of the earth changes in relation to the sun, thereby causing the change of the seasons.
2006-09-07 14:00:55 · answer #4 · answered by Kidd! 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Seasons are affected by the angle of the earth in relation to the position of the sun during a given part of the year.
2006-09-08 02:24:19 · answer #5 · answered by Jayme C 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The earth is tilted about 23 degrees on it's axis. As it rotates around the sun it causes the seasons.
2006-09-08 11:08:14 · answer #6 · answered by timespiral 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Mainly the tilt of the earth. In winter, earth's northern hemisphere is tilted away from the sun; hence, colder weather and seasons. While the southern hemisphere (like down in Rio) is enjoying summer and thong bikinis.
2006-09-08 03:19:31 · answer #7 · answered by Sick Puppy 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
This reminds me of a project i did in my early childhood, uhmm...well the tilt on the earths axis affects some of the distribution of the heat througout the world. Next the earths orbit affects the day and night. and last the revolutions of the earth is what changes the seasons
2006-09-07 15:10:47 · answer #8 · answered by cda_k9 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's the fact that the Earth is on an Elliptical orbit. Think of it as being kind of like the shape of an egg, at different times during orbit we are at different distances from the sun which in turn creates the seasons.
2006-09-07 14:24:06 · answer #9 · answered by ezachowski 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Both the sun and the moon control the seasons.'
2006-09-07 14:00:37 · answer #10 · answered by Bluealt 7 · 0⤊ 2⤋