Why do seasons exist

It is summer in June in the Northern Hemisphere because the Sun's rays hit that part of Earth more directly than at any other point in Earth's orbit - or, in other words, more directly than at any other time of the year. It is winter in December in the Northern Hemisphere, because that is when it is the South Pole's turn to be tilted toward the Sun.

During the summer, the Sun tracks more directly overhead, rising in the east, overhead at noon, and setting in the west. If you live in the Southern Hemisphere, the Sun will be more northerly in the sky during the winter that is, June, July, and August.

So if you go to South Africa for the winter holidays, bring your swimsuit and leave your skis at home. Weather Forecasting. Many people think that some parts of the year are hotter because we're nearer to the Sun, but the real reason is that the Earth is wonky tilted. We have seasons because the earth is tilted wonky as it makes its yearly journey around the sun. The Earth's axis is tilted at an angle of This means that the Earth is always "pointing" to one side as it goes around the Sun.

So, sometimes the Sun is in the direction that the Earth is pointing, but not at other times. The varying amounts of sunlight around the Earth during the year, creates the seasons. The tilt of the Earth means the Earth will lean towards the Sun Summer or lean away from the Sun Winter 6 months later.

In between these, Spring and Autumn will occur. The Earth takes As we move around the Sun during the year, the amount of light each area of the planet receives varies in length.

When the Earth's axis points towards the Sun, it is summer for that hemisphere. When the Earth's axis points away, winter can be expected. The north pole tilts towards the sun. It is Summer time in countries in the Northern Hemisphere.

It is Winter time in countries in the Southern Hemisphere. The north pole tilts away from the sun. It is Winter time in countries in the Northern Hemisphere. It is Summer time in countries in the Southern Hemisphere. The north pole begins to move away from the Sun. In summer and winter, these midpoints are called solstices. The summer solstice is the longest day, and shortest night, of the year. The winter solstice is the shortest day of the year, and the longest night.

In spring and autumn, the midpoints are called the equinoxes. At the spring and autumn equinoxes, day and night are the same length. For thousands and thousands of years — right back to the Stone Age — people have known how to work out when the solstices and equinoxes happen throughout the year. Indeed, they built hundreds of amazing stone circles — like the famous Stonehenge — all over Europe, which marked certain times of the seasons across the year. These days, we even know how to calculate the seasons on other planets.

For example, the next Spring equinox on Mars is on the 23rd March. To understand how this works, imagine a small ball representing the Earth moving around a lightbulb the Sun in a circle.

If you have these things at home, you can try this yourself. As the ball moves around the lightbulb, the half closest to the light will be lit, while the other half will be in darkness. One full circle around the lightbulb represents one full year on Earth. As you move the ball around the lightbulb, try spinning it between your fingertips, so that the light always shines directly onto the equator. If the Earth span like this, day and night would be the same length all year round, and there would be no seasons.