Melissa Hill

Geography

26 September, 07:03

Since the seasons are linked to the position of the Sun on the tilted ecliptic, it may logically follow that the seasons are caused by the tilt of the Earth's rotation axis in relation to its orbit around the Sun. How could this tilt cause such an obviously large difference in temperature throughout the course of a year?

Open the AstroTour animation "The Earth Spins and Revolves." Work through the Explanation section, paying close attention during the interactive parts.

Based on what you learn, click and drag the seasons to the place on the celestial sphere where you would expect the Sun to be during each season, as experienced in the Northern Hemisphere. (Note that the Southern Hemisphere will have the opposite season at that time).