What Causes The Seasons?: What Causes The Seasons?

What causes the seasons?

What causes the seasons?

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What do you think?
Many people believe that Earth is closer to the sun in the summer and that is why it is hotter. And, likewise, they think Earth is farthest from the sun in the winter.

Although this idea makes sense, it is incorrect.
It is true that Earth’s orbit is not a perfect circle. It is a bit lop-sided. During part of the year, Earth is closer to the sun than at other times. However, in the Northern Hemisphere, we are having winter when Earth is closest to the sun and summer when it is farthest away! Compared with how far away the sun is, this change in Earth's distance throughout the year does not make much difference to our weather.
There is a different reason for Earth's seasons.

Earth has four seasons – Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter – that’s widely known. But what causes these seasons?
First let’s put a myth to bed: Summer occurs when the Earth is closest to the Sun. Not true. The Earth orbits the sun in an ellipse, kind of like an oval. On July 5th the Earth is at the Aphelion, furthest from the sun and on January 4th it’s at the Perihelion, or closest to the sun.
While Earth’s orbit around the Sun does play a role in the changing of the seasons, it’s not because the Earth receives more solar energy when it’s closer to the Sun or less energy when it’s further away.
The main reason we have the seasons is due to the Earth’s tilt.
Billions of years ago Earth was walloped by a massive space object, causing the ejection of billions of tons materials and eventually leading to the formation of the Moon. That massive collision did more than form the moon, it pushed the Earth off kilter by 23.5 degrees.
Those 23.5 degrees coupled with the Earth’s orbit around the Sun allows for uneven heating of the planet.
So, in August, in the northern hemisphere, the Earth is tilted toward the sun, which means longer days and summer