Is it distance?
A wrong reason for the seasons.
A common idea
Some people say, "It is hot in summer because the Earth is closer to the Sun."
Do you think this is correct?
What this lesson covers
The idea
Seasons are not caused by the Earth being closer to or farther from the Sun at different times, since such differences in distance are very small; the Earth is in fact closest to the Sun in January.
A common idea
Some people say, "It is hot in summer because the Earth is closer to the Sun."
Do you think this is correct?
- Yes, the Earth is closer in summer
- No, distance is not the reason
- We cannot say
Check the distance
Slide through the months and watch the bar. It starts from zero, so you see how much the distance really changes.
Very small changes
The distance changes only a little. The Earth is closest to the Sun in January, which is winter in the Northern Hemisphere. So distance cannot be the reason for the seasons.
Seasons are not caused by the Earth being closer to or farther from the Sun at different times, since such differences in distance are very small; the Earth is in fact closest to the Sun in January.
Notes
Seasons are not caused by the Earth being closer to or farther from the Sun at different times, since such differences in distance are very small; the Earth is in fact closest to the Sun in January.
Check yourself
In which month is the Earth closest to the Sun?
Seasons are NOT caused by …
In January the Earth is closest to the Sun. In the Northern Hemisphere, January is …
The change in the Earth’s distance from the Sun through the year is …
- June. June is summer in the Northern Hemisphere, but the Earth is not closest to the Sun then.
- January — correct. Yes! It is closest in January.
- In every month, equally. The distance changes a little. It is closest in January.
- the tilt of the Earth’s axis. The tilt is one of the real reasons for seasons.
- the Earth’s spherical shape. The shape is the other real reason.
- the Earth being nearer or farther from the Sun — correct. Yes! The difference in distance is very small.
- winter — correct. Yes! So being closer does not make it summer.
- summer. If distance caused seasons, January would be summer. It is winter, so distance is not the reason.
- the hottest month everywhere. The Southern Hemisphere has summer in January, but the Northern Hemisphere has winter.
- zero, the distance never changes. The distance does change a little. The Earth is closest in January.
- very small — correct. Yes! It is too small to cause seasons.
- huge. The difference in distance is very small.