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    What Causes The Seasons - NASA Space Place - NASA Science For Kids

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    abhiy7
    Earth's tilted axis causes the seasons. Throughout the year, different parts of Earth receive the Sun's most direct rays due to the tilt of Earth's axis. When the North Pole tilts toward the Sun, it's summer in the Northern Hemisphere. When the South Pole tilts toward the Sun, it's winter in the Northern Hemisphere. Earth's axis is tilted due to a large impact early in Earth's formation that knocked it off-kilter. This axial tilt, rather than Earth's distance from the Sun, is what causes the seasons.

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    What Causes The Seasons - NASA Space Place - NASA Science For Kids

    Uploaded by

    abhiy7
    89 views7 pages
    Earth's tilted axis causes the seasons. Throughout the year, different parts of Earth receive the Sun's most direct rays due to the tilt of Earth's axis. When the North Pole tilts toward the Sun, it's summer in the Northern Hemisphere. When the South Pole tilts toward the Sun, it's winter in the Northern Hemisphere. Earth's axis is tilted due to a large impact early in Earth's formation that knocked it off-kilter. This axial tilt, rather than Earth's distance from the Sun, is what causes the seasons.

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    What Causes the Seasons_ _ NASA Space Place – NASA Science for Kids

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    Earth's tilted axis causes the seasons. Throughout the year, different parts of Earth receive the Sun's most direct rays due to the tilt of Earth's axis. When the North Pole tilts toward the Sun, it's summer in the Northern Hemisphere. When the South Pole tilts toward the Sun, it's winter in the Northern Hemisphere. Earth's axis is tilted due to a large impact early in Earth's formation that knocked it off-kilter. This axial tilt, rather than Earth's distance from the Sun, is what causes the seasons.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    89 views7 pages

    What Causes The Seasons - NASA Space Place - NASA Science For Kids

    Uploaded by

    abhiy7
    Earth's tilted axis causes the seasons. Throughout the year, different parts of Earth receive the Sun's most direct rays due to the tilt of Earth's axis. When the North Pole tilts toward the Sun, it's summer in the Northern Hemisphere. When the South Pole tilts toward the Sun, it's winter in the Northern Hemisphere. Earth's axis is tilted due to a large impact early in Earth's formation that knocked it off-kilter. This axial tilt, rather than Earth's distance from the Sun, is what causes the seasons.

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    of 7

    (https://www.nasa.

    gov)

    (https://science.nasa.gov)

    (/)

    What Causes the Seasons?

    The Short Answer:

    Earth's tilted axis causes the seasons. Throughout the year, different parts of Earth
    receive the Sun's most direct rays. So, when the North Pole tilts toward the Sun, it's
    summer in the Northern Hemisphere. And when the South Pole tilts toward the Sun, it's
    winter in the Northern Hemisphere.

    It's all about Earth's tilt!


    Many people believe that Earth is closer to the Sun in the summer and that is why it is hotter. And,
    likewise, they think Earth is farthest from the Sun in the winter.
    Although this idea makes sense, it is incorrect.
    It is true that Earth's orbit is not a perfect circle. It is a bit lop-sided. During part of the year, Earth
    is closer to the Sun than at other times. However, in the Northern Hemisphere, we are having
    winter when Earth is closest to the Sun and summer when it is farthest away! Compared with how
    far away the Sun is, this change in Earth's distance throughout the year does not make much
    difference to our weather.
    There is a different reason for Earth's seasons.
    Earth's axis is an imaginary pole going right through the center of Earth from "top" to "bottom."
    Earth spins around this pole, making one complete turn each day. That is why we have day and
    night, and why every part of Earth's surface gets some of each.
    Earth has seasons because its axis doesn't stand up straight.

    But what caused Earth to tilt?


    Long, long ago, when Earth was young, it is thought that
    something big hit Earth and knocked it off-kilter. So instead of
    rotating with its axis straight up and down, it leans over a bit.
    By the way, that big thing that hit Earth is called Theia. It also
    blasted a big hole in the surface. That big hit sent a huge amount
    of dust and rubble into orbit. Most scientists think that that rubble,
    in time, became our Moon.
    As Earth orbits the Sun, its tilted axis always points in the same
    direction. So, throughout the year, different parts of Earth get the Sun’s direct rays.
    Sometimes it is the North Pole tilting toward the Sun (around June) and sometimes it is the South
    Pole tilting toward the Sun (around December).
    It is summer in June in the Northern Hemisphere because the Sun's rays hit that part of Earth
    more directly than at any other time of the year. It is winter in December in the Northern
    Hemisphere, because that is when it is the South Pole's turn to be tilted toward the Sun.

    Earth's lopsided orbit


    Earth's perihelion (point closest to Sun) = 91,400,000 miles from Sun
    Earth's aphelion (point farthest from Sun) = 94,500,000 miles from Sun
    While that is a difference of over 3 million miles, relative to the entire distance, it isn’t much.
    And, believe it or not, aphelion (when Earth is farthest from the Sun) occurs in July, and perihelion
    (when we are closest) occurs in January. For those of us who live in the Northern Hemisphere
    where it's summer in July and winter in January, that seems backwards, doesn't it? That just goes
    to prove that Earth's distance from the Sun is not the cause of the seasons.

    Related Resources for Educators


    Seasons (Educator Guide to go with Seasons Spotlite video)
    (https://nasaeclips.arc.nasa.gov/spotlite/seasons/seasons_nasa-spotlite--what-causes-
    seasons-july-2017)

    Seasons (Nearpod Lesson to go with Seasons Spotlite video)


    (https://nearpod.com/s/science/3rd-grade/what-causes-seasons-L38382171)

    Our World: Sun's Position (https://nasaeclips.arc.nasa.gov/video/ourworld/our-world-suns-


    position)

    Sun's Position (Educator Guide to go with Sun's Position Spotlite video)


    (https://nasaeclips.arc.nasa.gov/spotlite/suns-position/suns-position_nasa-spotlite--suns-
    position-aps)

    Sun's Position (Nearpod Lesson to go with Sun's Position Spotlite video)


    (https://nearpod.com/s/science/3rd-grade/suns-position-L38382283)

    article last updated July 22, 2021

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