Why is it winter in North America when its summer in South America?

Answer 1

The Earth is tilted at an angle of about 23 degrees, which means that depending on where Earth is on its orbit, one pole will be getting more hours of light (summer) and one will be dark (winter).

O ( \ )

Say the O represents the Sun, and the ( \ ) is the Earth; the backslash is the Earth's axis. You can tell by the tilt that it's summer in the northern hemisphere, because even though the Earth is spinning on its axis, the tilt prevents the southern hemisphere from getting much light when the Earth is on that side of the Sun. This is why days are so much shorter and colder in winter; the sun rises later and sets earlier, and we get less light and less warmth.

( \ ) O

Here's the Earth on the other side of the Sun. Notice that the tilt is in the same direction as before, but now it is the southern hemisphere getting all the light.

So the short answer to your question is: because the Earth's axis is tilted. If the axis were straight up and down ( | ), we wouldn't have seasons at all.

Answer 2

Our planet is tilted on it's axis.

As it revolves around the Sun, it's aspect to the Sun changes.

In the Northern Hemisphere's Summer, the northern half of the planet is closer to the Sun. It is Summer in the North, and Winter in the South.

In the Southern Hemisphere's Summer, the South is closer to the Sun.

Answer 3

The earth is tilted on it's axis so more direct rays of sunlight hit the southern hemisphere making it summer in that hemisphere while it is winter in the northern hemisphere. Six months later, this reverses, and more direct rays hit the northern hemisphere. That's why it's summer here while it's winter there.

The earth's distance from the sun has nothing to do with it. It's all about the axial tilt.

Answer 4

the sun is closer to the southern hemisphere and we get less sun here in the north in the winter

Answer 5

cuz the earth is tilted on its axis did you lie about your age to get onto yahoo! answers or are you just low-iq?