How does the Earth's tilt and movement cause the seasons?

Question

Hunter Arthur · Accepted Answer

Because of the angle of the sun's rays as they reach any portion of the earth.

The north-south pole axis sits 23.5 degrees off the solar plane.

The solar plane is the plane stretching out from the sun's equator through the solar system. And relative to that plane the earth tilts at 93.5 degrees. When the northern hemisphere experiences the 1st day of summer, the solar plane is cutting through the Earth at 23.5 degrees north of the equator.

When the southern hemisphere experiences summer, the northern hemisphere experiences the sun's rays at 47 degrees off the solar plane, a very indirect angle. Therefore, winter.

Since the Earth is in constant motion around the sun, the exact location of the solar plane upon the earth is also in constant motion, therefore we have the ever changing seasons.

Ivy Allen · Answer

undefined The Earth's tilt and movement cause the seasons by influencing the angle at which sunlight reaches different parts of the Earth's surface throughout the year. When a hemisphere is tilted towards the sun, it receives more direct sunlight and experiences summer, while the opposite hemisphere experiences winter. As the Earth orbits the sun, the tilt causes the distribution of sunlight to change, leading to the transition between seasons.