Why Do We Have Seasons?
Tilt Earth and explore the seasons as it orbits the Sun.
A tilted Earth travels around the Sun
Move through the year and compare the hemispheres. Change the tilt to test what causes seasons.
Northern Hemisphere: Spring · Southern Hemisphere: Autumn
The tilted axis keeps pointing in the same direction as Earth orbits. A hemisphere tilted toward the Sun receives more direct sunlight and longer days.
My discovery notebook
Save an observation on this device and compare it with another.
What is happening?
Move Earth around the Sun and compare the sunlight reaching the Northern and Southern Hemispheres.
A simplified model; orbit and body sizes are not to scale. Local weather and climate vary.
Questions to explore
Why do seasons happen?
Earth's tilted axis changes the angle and duration of sunlight each hemisphere receives during its orbit.
Are seasons caused by distance from the Sun?
No. Earth's axial tilt is the main cause of the seasons.