“Exactly,” Mom said. “The tilt is the real star of the show. In fact, Earth’s orbit is almost a circle. The difference in distance is only about 3 million miles — tiny compared to 93 million miles total. That small change can’t beat the tilt’s effect.”
“You’ve got it,” Mom said.
“Let me show you something,” Mom said. She grabbed a flashlight and an orange. “The sun is the flashlight, and Earth is the orange.” She tilted the orange slightly on an imaginary axis. what season is earth closest to the sun
“Earth is tilted,” she explained. “In December and January, the Northern Hemisphere — where we live — is tilted away from the sun. So even though we’re a bit closer to the sun overall, the sunlight hits us at a low angle, spreading out and giving us less heat. That’s winter.”
“The universe is full of weird and wonderful surprises,” Mom said, smiling. Earth is closest to the sun in early January (perihelion), but seasons are caused by Earth’s axial tilt, not its distance from the sun. So even at our closest point, the Northern Hemisphere experiences winter because it’s tilted away from the sun’s direct rays. “Exactly,” Mom said
She continued, “In July, we’re actually farthest from the sun — but the Northern Hemisphere tilts toward the sun. The sunlight hits us directly, making it hot summer.”
Here’s a helpful story that clears up a common misconception about Earth’s orbit and the seasons. Leo loved watching the night sky. One chilly December evening, he asked his mom, “Why is it so cold if Earth is closest to the sun right now?” The difference in distance is only about 3
Leo thought for a moment. “So distance to the sun isn’t what makes seasons?”
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