Does the earth go further away from the sun in the winter?

Answer 1

Yes. The earth, and all the planets, are not on perfectly circular orbits, but rather elliptical orbits. During the winter months (depending on hemisphere), the earth happens to be at one of the far ends of the elliptical path. This is why it is summer in Australia when it is winter in Alaska (which is practically winter all year anyways...cold up here). Likewise, when the earth's path is closer to the sun, it is warmer (spring).

Summer actually occurs when the earth is at a "far end", but it is tilted towards the sun, thus receiving direct rays from the sun. As it travels around, the rays are less direct, and it becomes fall (closest to the sun, but tilted away), and then winter (far away and tilted away), and then spring (close and partially tilted towards sun).

Answer 2

Contrary to popular belief, that is not the reason why it happens. Check out this picture to get a better look.

Seasons

The seasons on the Earth arise from the fact that the Earth's spin axis is tilted 23.5° with respect to the plane of its orbit around the Sun (the ecliptic plane). The seasons indicated in the diagram below are from the perspective of the northern hemisphere. This spin axis direction is fixed in space by conservation of angular momentum with the exception of a tiny amount of precession which for this discussion has a negligible effect. Like a huge gyroscope, its axis holds its direction in space so that at the summer solstice the northern hemisphere is tilted toward the Sun and six months later is tilted away from the Sun at the winter solstice.

A common misconception is that the seasons have something to do with the Earth being further from the Sun during the winter. The Earth's orbit around the Sun is very nearly circular, with only a 1.67% variation in the distance from the Sun during the year. And the time that it is slightly closer is not during the summer, but during January! This prevalent misconception about the seasons may come partly from the nature of perspective drawings like the one above which looks like an ellipse, bringing the Earth closer to the Sun at some points. But the intent of the drawing is to depict a circular orbit.

Look at this picture:
http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/Solar/picsol/seasoncomp.jpg

Answer 3

The seasons are caused by the tilt in the Earth's axis, not by how far away it is from the sun. During winter the Sun's light is at an angle that does not allow much of the light to get through. During the summer the angle allows most light through.

Depending on what hemisphere you live in depends on whether or not you are close or far away from the sun during winter. In the Northern Hemisphere, the Earth is close to the sun during winter. In the Southern Hemisphere, the Earth is far away during winter.

Answer 4

no it is actually the opposite for the northern hemisphere. In our winter, the sun actually is closer than in the summer. The main reason the temperature drops in the winter is our tilt of the axis of the earth which makes the days longer in the summer and shorter in the winter. The energy received from the sun is affected far more by length of day than by the (relatively) small change of distance from the sun.

Answer 5

In the Northern Hemisphere, winter comes when the northern half of the earth is tilted away from the sun, but the southern half is tilted towards the sun. No, it is not closer or farther from the sun.

Answer 6

Yes it does, but only if you live in Australia or Chile or any other southern hemisphere location. I believe the perihelion is Jan 5th, with aphelion six months later, if I am not mistaken. Now if you are living on Mars, then when it is winter on Mars the Earth could be almost anywhere in it's orbit. So the answer to your question very much depends on your location, if you see what I mean.

Answer 7

No. The earth rocks back and forth on its axis. When your hemisphere is experiencing winter, it is tilted away from the sun. And when it's summer, you are titled toward the sun.

Answer 8

in whose winter ... the northern or the southern hemisphere's?

the key to this is that yes the Earth moves in and out from the
Sun to a small degree, but what makes winters in the
northern hemisphere mostly is the tipping away from the
sun of the angle of rotation ... that is, in the winter the axis
of the Earth slants the northern hemisphere away from the
Sun, and in the northern hemisphere's summer the
Southern hemispheres pole is closer to the Sun.

Answer 9

No the earth doesn't move further away. The part of earth you live in is tilted away from the sun in the winter.

http://www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/link=/the_universe/uts/seasons1.html

This link should take you to an explination.

Answer 10

No, not the earth itself, but our hemisphere is tileted farther away from it than it was in the summer. Thats why in the southern hemisphere during the winter months where it is cold for us, it is like summer for them.