ORBIT, AXIS, EQUATOR, AND TILT
- Vocab:
- Orbit:The path an astronomical object follows as it revolves around another.
- Axis: Theoretical line stretching vertically across the Earth.
- Equator: Theoretical line stretching horizontally across the Earth.
- Tilt: Tilt of the Earth and its axis.
- Explanations:
In order to understand what causes seasons you need to understand how the Earth points toward the sun and how it follows its path.
The Earth is stuck on an orbit which revolves around the sun. While on this orbit the Earth also spins on an axis. This axis would have a natural tilt that is around 22.5-23.5 degrees. This tilt allows there to be two hemispheres (the northern hemisphere and the southern hemisphere). Since the axis stretches across the Earth it will have two opposite sides. The end of the axis that is pointing towards the Earth will be the summer, while the other is winter. However, there are two seasons that are not pointing directly at the Sun, giving us spring and autumn. While there is the axis of the Earth, there is also the equator. The equator would be the center of the Earth horizontally and would also be the warmest part.
Now that those are explained, let's move on to rotation and revolution!