Mon Prof Augmenté
Why Earth Has Seasons
Age 13 · Astronomy
Earth’s axis is tilted by 23.4° and keeps pointing the same way in space as Earth travels around the Sun. So for part of the year one hemisphere leans toward the Sun and gets more direct sunlight and longer days, while the other leans away and has winter.
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Age 13: open this week
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In the picture
- The Sun: lights the half of Earth that faces it
- Earth in June: northern half tilted toward the Sun, summer in the north
- Earth in December: southern half tilted toward the Sun, summer in the south
- Earth’s axis: tilted 23.4° and always pointing the same way
- The orbit: almost a circle, so Earth’s distance from the Sun hardly changes
Examples
- When it is summer in Spain or Canada in July, it is winter in Australia and Argentina.
- Earth is actually closest to the Sun in early January, during the northern winter.
Key takeaways
- Seasons are caused by the tilt of Earth’s axis, not by its distance from the Sun.
- The two hemispheres always have opposite seasons.
Quiz: Why Earth Has Seasons (Age 13)
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What causes Earth to have seasons?
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When it is summer in the northern hemisphere, what season is it in the southern hemisphere?
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As Earth travels around the Sun, what does its tilted axis do?
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