The seasons from space

What causes the seasons?

By Sofia Escovar. 6th grade science project

What causes the seasons? Part 2

Why should this tilt of the Earth's axis matter to our weather? To understand this, take a piece of paper and a flashlight. Shine the light from the flashlight straight onto the paper, so you see an illuminated circle. All the light from the flashlight is in that circle. Now slowly tilt the paper, so the circle elongates into an ellipse. All the light is still in that ellipse, but the ellipse is spread out over more paper. The density of light drops. In other words, the amount of light per square centimeter drops (the number of square centimeters increases, while the total amount of light stays the same).

The Conclusion

Earth's tilted axis causes the seasons

All throughout the year, distinct parts or Earth receive the Sun's rays more than other parts. This results in different seasons. Then, when the North Pole tilts toward the sun, it's summer in the Northern Hemisphere and winter in the Southern. Though, when it's tilt is away from the sun, it's winter in the Northern Hemisphere and summer in the Southern. When it's half and half, it can be either fall or spring on either hemisphere.

What causes the seasons? Part 3

The same is true on the earth.When the sun is overhead, the light is falling straight on you, and so more light (and more heat) hit each square centimeter of the ground.When the sun is lower in the sky, the light gets more spread out over the surface of the earth, and less heat (per square centimeter) can be absorbed. Since the earth's axis is tilted, the sun is higher when you are on the part of the earth where the axis points more towards the sun, and lower on the part of the Earth where the axis points away from the sun.

What causes the seasons? Part 1

As the earth spins on its axis, producing night and day, it also moves about the sun in an eleptical (elongated circle) orbit that requires about 365 1/4 days to complete. The earth's spin axis tilted with respect to its orbital plane. This is what causes the seasons. When the earth axis points toward the sun, it is summer for that hemisphere. When the earth's axis points away, winter can be expected. Since the tilt of the axis is 23 1/2 degrees, The North Pole never points directly at the sun, but on the summer solstice it points s close as it can, and on the winter solstice as far as it can. Midway between these two times, in spring and autumn, the spin axis of the earth points 90 degrees away from the sun. This means that on this date , day and night have about the same length: 12 hours each, more or less.

Q&A

• What is Earth´s axis and how is it related to the seasons? An imaginary pole that goes through the Earth.
• Why is earth's axis tilted? Beacause it was hit by Theia when the earth first formed.
• Summarize each season: Winter: The hemisphere is tilted away from the sun and its very cold. Spring: The hemisphere is tilted 2\3 to the sun and its very rainy. Fall: The hemisphere is tilted 2\3 away from the sun and its very windy. Summer: The hemisphere is tilted towards the sun and its very cold.
• Explain the change in the Northern Hemisphere from June to December: In June, The Northern Hemisphere is very close to the sun rays. And in December, The Norther Hemisphere is far from thev sun's heat, so its very cold.
• Compare solstice and equinox: Solstice is when the day is shorter or longer, depending on the situation. Equinox is when the Northern and Southern Hemisphere have equal ammounts of day and night.
• Why are there periods where there is more light and the tempature shifts? Beacause in other parts of the year the tempature is hotter. The reason being The Northern or Southern Hemisphere are close to the sun.

What causes the seasons? Part 4

For the Northern Hemisphere, the axis points most toward the sun in June (specifically around June 21), and away from the sun around December21. This corresponds to the Winter and Summer Solstice (solstice is Latin for "the sun stands"). For the Southern Hemisphere, this is reversed.For both hemispheres, the earth is 90 degrees away from the sun around March 21 and then again around September21. This corresponds to the Fall and Spring Equinox (equinox is Latin for "equal night").Everyplace in the world has about 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of night.