We are learning about what causes the seasons in class.
The axis of the Earth is at a tilt of 23.5 degrees. It is this tilt that causes the seasons. The Earth orbits the sun while spinning on its own axis. The tilt causes different amounts of the suns energy to reach the Earth at different times during the year.
When the suns energy (light) is directly hitting the Northern Hemisphere it is summer here. The rest of the light hits the southern hemisphere at an angle which causes it to be dispersed further. Hence it is weaker when it hits the southern hemisphere and it is winter in the southern hemisphere. The opposite happens during our winter. The seasons are always the opposite in the northern and southern hemispheres.
The Tropics around the equator get full heat all year around and have minimal temperature change.
The Seasons Fun Facts!
- In St. Petersburg in Russia, from mid June to mid July the sky stays bright. This is called ‘White Nights’!
- In Alaska they play a game of baseball that starts at 10.30pm on the Summer Solstice. It sometimes lasts until 2am and is all played in daylight!
- The Arctic Circle only has two seasons summer and winter. The sun only rises and sets once every year here!
- In the Arctic Circle the night time is called the ‘Midnight Sun’, because the sun shines for 24hours a day during their 6 month summer!
- In Svalbard, an island off Norway, the sun doesn’t set from April 19th until August 23rd, and the sun doesn’t rise from October 26th until February 15th!
By 6th Class
November 8, 2011
