If the Earth goes around the sun,in an elliptical pattern, why does the north and south hemispheres have opposite seasons?
In: Physics
The Earth’s orbit and distance from the sun actually has very little impact on the seasons (BTW, during northern summers, we’re actually further from the sun than during northern winters).
Instead, it’s the axial tilt of the planet and the angle at which sunlight hits. You know how the air is cooler in the morning and evening, but hottest when the sun is lower in the sky? That’s because the same amount of sunlight is spread over a larger area when the sun is lower in the sky. The tilt of the earth is the same: during the summer, that area of the world is tilted towards the sun, so the sun is more directly overhead and the light is concentrated more directly, warming it up. During the winter, the reverse happens; the sun is lower in the sky and the light is spread over more land. Further, this effect is so extreme at the poles that during winter, nighttime can last for weeks straight and days rarely get brighter than twilight for months, while during the summer, daylight can last for just as long, with no respite from night.
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