Ages

Introduction

Summary

The seasons are three-month periods separating the equinoxes (spring, autumn) and the solstices (summer, winter).

The changing seasons are linked to the variation of the Earth's axial tilt comparative to the plane of the ecliptic.
The Earth’s rotation axis is tilted at an angle of 23.5° from the perpendicular in its year-long orbit around the sun. As the tilt is fixed in space, each of the Earth’s poles is alternately exposed more to the sun every six months.

Diagrams are not drawn to scale.

Goals

• To understand the meaning of the tropics.
• To link the alternating seasons to the Earth's axial tilt .
• To understand how the duration of  daylight  changes with  the seasons.

Features

Click on a date to locate the Earth at this time.

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Tags

seasons equinox solstice spring vernal summer winter autumn earth sun