EVERYDAY SCIENCE

Detailed explanation-1: -Around December 21, the Northern Hemisphere tilts the farthest away from the Sun. This is called the northern winter solstice, and it is when we have the least amount of daylight of any time of the year.

Detailed explanation-2: -Some people think the earth gets colder in the winter because the earth is farther away from the sun, but this idea is wrong. In fact, the earth is farthest from the sun in the northern hemisphere’s summer, and not winter.

Detailed explanation-3: -The earth’s spin axis is tilted with respect to its orbital plane. This is what causes the seasons. When the earth’s axis points towards the sun, it is summer for that hemisphere. When the earth’s axis points away, winter can be expected.

Detailed explanation-4: -Seasons are caused by the fact that the Earth is tilted on its axis by 23.5°. The tilt’s orientation with respect to space does not change during the year; thus, the Northern Hemisphere is tilted toward the sun in June and away from the sun in December, as illustrated in the graphic below.

Detailed explanation-5: -During the winter months, the Earth is tilted so that the Southern Hemisphere is closer to the Sun. This causes the Southern Hemisphere to experience warmer temperatures and longer days than the Northern Hemisphere, resulting in winter. The angle of inclination of the Earth’s axis is 23.5 degrees.