• Question: what makes us have seasons(summer,winter,spring,autumn)?

    Asked by biskinkiki1234 to Angus, Christian, Hannah, Laura, Simon on 18 Jun 2013.
    • Photo: Hannah Bentham

      Hannah Bentham answered on 18 Jun 2013:

      We get seasons because the Earth’s rotational axis does not match up with the plane in which it revolves around the Sun.

      The Earth’s rotational axis coincides with a line between North Pole and South Pole. But as the Earth rotates the Sun, this axis is tilted. In the summer (for the North Hemisphere) the axis is tilted towards the Sun, therefore we get more solar energy than average and we get warmer weather. In the winter, it tilts away, therefore less solar energy and we get colder weather. Autumn and Spring are more average solar conditions so we get mild weather.

      Maybe check out this video. I think it is explained best in a diagram
      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DuiQvPLWziQ

    • Photo: Simon Holyoake

      Simon Holyoake answered on 18 Jun 2013:

      can’t add anything here, great answer from Hannah!

    • Photo: Angus Ferraro

      Angus Ferraro answered on 18 Jun 2013:

      Also, the tilt of the Earth’s axis changes slowly. It kind of wobbles back and forth, which means over time seasons can get more or less extreme.

    • Photo: Christian Maerz

      Christian Maerz answered on 19 Jun 2013:

      To add to these great answers, Earth does all kinds of weird motions on various timescales! A guy called Milankovich found out that these so-called orbital parameters of the Earth do not only change seasons, but can in fact start and end ice ages!

    • Photo: Laura Roberts Artal

      Laura Roberts Artal answered on 19 Jun 2013:

      The other scientists beat me to it! Their answers pretty much cover it all!

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