What causes seasons
The tilt of the earth
http://www.ducksters.com/science/seasons.php
Seasons are primarily caused by the tilt of the Earth's axis and its orbit around the Sun. The Earth is tilted on its axis at an angle of about 23.5 degrees relative to its orbit. This means that as the Earth revolves around the Sun, different parts of the planet receive varying amounts of sunlight throughout the year.
During summer in a particular hemisphere, like the Northern Hemisphere, that hemisphere is tilted towards the Sun. This tilting allows sunlight to hit the area more directly, resulting in longer days and more intense sunlight. This leads to warmer temperatures. Conversely, during winter in the same hemisphere, it is tilted away from the Sun, so sunlight hits the area at a more oblique angle, resulting in shorter days, less intense sunlight, and colder temperatures.
In between these seasons, during spring and autumn, the Earth is positioned neither tilted towards nor away from the Sun. This leads to more equal distribution of sunlight, resulting in milder temperatures.
It's important to note that the actual distance between the Earth and the Sun does not cause the seasons, as the Earth's orbit is slightly elliptical. The tilt of the Earth's axis is the main factor that determines the changing of seasons.
The Earth experiences seasons due to its axial tilt, which is the angle at which the Earth's axis is tilted relative to its orbit around the Sun. The axis is tilted by approximately 23.5 degrees. This tilt causes different parts of the Earth to receive varying amounts of sunlight throughout the year, resulting in the changing seasons.
During summer, the hemisphere that is tilted towards the Sun receives more direct sunlight, leading to longer daylight hours and warmer temperatures. In contrast, during winter, the hemisphere tilted away from the Sun receives less direct sunlight, resulting in shorter daylight hours and cooler temperatures. The equinoxes, which occur in spring and autumn, mark the times when the Earth's axis is not tilted towards or away from the Sun, resulting in roughly equal day and night lengths.
To determine the causes of seasons yourself, you can perform the following experiment:
1. Obtain a globe and mark the locations of the equator, the tropics (23.5 degrees north and south), and the Arctic and Antarctic Circles (66.5 degrees north and south).
2. Use a desk lamp to simulate the Sun. Position it above the globe and shine the light directly onto the equator.
3. Observe how the equator receives the most direct sunlight, simulating a summer-like condition.
4. Tilt the globe by 23.5 degrees while keeping the lamp in the same position.
5. Observe how one hemisphere (the tilted side) receives more direct sunlight than the other hemisphere, simulating the conditions of summer in one hemisphere and winter in the other.
This experiment demonstrates how the Earth's axial tilt causes the varying amounts of sunlight that produce the seasons.