2007-01-27 08:01:31 · 7 answers · asked by Keith W 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Earth Sciences & Geology
It turns out that the elliptical orbit of the Earth has little effect on the seasons. Instead, it is the 23.45-degree tilt of the planet's rotational axis that causes us to have winter and summer.
When the Northern Hemisphere is experiencing winter, and the Southern Hemisphere is experiencing summer. By thinking as to how sunlight is landing on the planet, you can understand two things:
The Southern Hemisphere is getting about three times as much sunlight as the Northern Hemisphere.
The North Pole is getting zero sunlight, which is why it experiences 24 hours of darkness in January.
That huge difference in the amount of sunlight reaching the ground in the different hemispheres is what causes the seasons.
2007-01-27 08:12:58 · answer #1 · answered by landhermit 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
The different seasons on Earth are caused by the fact that the axis of the planet is tilted 23.5 degrees from the vertical in space. This causes the sun to shine directly overhead on different places of Earth at different times of the year (the Tropic of Capricorn when the Northern Hemisphere has its summer and the Tropic of Cancer on the winter solstice for the Northern Hemisphere). This, combined with the angle that the sun's radiation come through the atmosphere (and thus the area over which the same energy is spread on the surface of Earth), causes the seasons on Earth.
It has nothing to do with the distance Earth is from the sun, because this varies little, and in fact, Earth is closer to the sun during January than during July.
2007-01-27 08:15:35 · answer #2 · answered by TPmy 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
As the earth revolves in space, it also follows a orbital pattern that takes it closer to the sun(summer) and then farther away from the sun(winter) and the other two seasons are just precursors to the summer and winter seasons as explained.
2007-01-27 09:22:57 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The tilt of the Earth gives Earth seasons. It orbits the sun. If the Earth was not tilted, there would be no seasons, and it would basicly be fall/spring inbetween the equator & poles all year. If the Earth stopped orbiting, we would fall into the sun, becase of it's high gravity.
2014-11-20 16:53:48 · answer #4 · answered by ? 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
the sun and the unequal heating of the earth
2007-01-27 09:49:16 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
the sun and it's differing areas of earth it is nearest too during our year's rotation and leaning away/too the sun
2007-01-27 08:09:14 · answer #6 · answered by essdee 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/astronomy/planets/earth/Seasons.shtml
2007-01-31 08:55:40 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋