In school (US) I moved around a lot and I feel like I learned two separate theories on what makes seasons change: 1) the tilt of the Earth on it’s axis and 2) the distance of the Earth from the Sun during its yearly trip around. I understand that (1) is correct, but why does the slight tilt of the Earth make more of a difference than the actual distance from the Sun? And how is it possible that it’s difference is so significant that the Northern and Southern Hemispheres experience their seasons at different times?
In: Physics
The slant changes how light strikes the Earth. The shallower the angle, the more energy is deflected instead of absorbed. Summer for whichever hemisphere is when that side is facing the sun as dead-on as possible, maximizing the absorption. Likewise, winter is when the hemisphere is canted, so more sunlight is deflected.
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