Question

Part C

Based on what you have learned from your rankings in Parts A and B, which of the following planets would you expect to have seasons most like Earth's?

- Mars (axis tilt = 25.2)

Answer 1

Mars has seasons similar to Earth due to its comparable axial tilt of 25.2°, although Martian seasons are longer. Without Earth's tilt, there would be no distinct seasons as we know them, and a lower Earth tilt of 16° would result in milder seasonal changes.

Step-by-step explanation:

Mars would be the planet with seasons most similar to Earth's. This is because the axial tilt of Mars is 25.2°, which is very close to Earth's axial tilt of 23.4°. This tilt is primarily responsible for the occurrence of seasons. However, the duration of seasons on Mars is longer compared to Earth, since a Martian year is almost twice as long as an Earth year. Therefore, each Martian season lasts approximately six Earth months.

On Earth, if the axis were not tilted, we would not experience seasons as we currently do. Without the tilt, temperatures would be more uniform throughout the year, significantly altering life on Earth.

In a hypothetical scenario where Earth's axial tilt was 16°, there would be a difference in the severity and length of seasons compared to the actual tilt of 23°. The lower tilt would lead to less extreme variations in day length and the amount of direct sunlight throughout the year, resulting in milder seasonal changes.