Question

Select the correct answer from each drop-down menu.

The Earth's axis of rotation is tilted. Because of this, the amount of sunlight an area on the planet receives each day varies depending on the time of year. These variations result in four distinct seasons.

The diagram below shows the Earth at one particular point in its yearly revolution around the Sun.


Image courtesy of NASA

When the Earth is in the position shown above, the Northern Hemisphere experiences the beginning of
___________
because that hemisphere is tilted
_____
the Sun.

Answer 1

When the Earth is in the position shown above, the Northern Hemisphere experiences the beginning of summer because that hemisphere is tilted towards the Sun.

The position in the first image will lead in longer and warmer days because the northern hemisphere is closer to the sun than that of the southern hemisphere.

So, Earth's seasons are determined by its tilt of 23.5° relative to the sun. When the Northern Hemisphere is closer to the sun, it experiences summer with longer daylight hours and direct sunlight. In the first picture, where the Northern Hemisphere is closer, days are both longer and warmer.