If the Earth goes around the sun,in an elliptical pattern, why does the north and south hemispheres have opposite seasons?

Question

If the Earth goes around the sun,in an elliptical pattern, why does the north and south hemispheres have opposite seasons?

In: Physics

Answer 1

The seasons aren’t caused by the elliptical orbit of the Earth, they are caused by the axial tilt. The Earth isn’t perfectly parallel to the Sun, the Earth rotates on it’s North/South poles tilted at 23.4 degrees relative to its orbit around the Sun.

Depending on the time of year your hemisphere is either tilted towards the Sun (Summer) or away (Winter)

Being tilted towards the Sun results in a warmer season, but contrary to popular belief it’s not because you are closer to the Sun. It’s because more of the Earth’s surface is exposed to the Suns light which makes the days longer. Longer days means we are exposed to more heat.