GK
SOLAR SYSTEM
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Question
[CLICK ON ANY CHOICE TO KNOW THE RIGHT ANSWER]
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The earth rotates on its axis
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The earth revolves around the sun
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The earth’s axis is tilted
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Wind patterns on earth
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Detailed explanation-1: -As the earth spins on its axis, producing night and day, it also moves about the sun in an elliptical (elongated circle) orbit that requires about 365 1/4 days to complete. The earth’s spin axis is tilted with respect to its orbital plane. This is what causes the seasons.
Detailed explanation-2: -More tilt means more severe seasons-warmer summers and colder winters; less tilt means less severe seasons-cooler summers and milder winters. It’s the cool summers that are thought to allow snow and ice to last from year-to-year in high latitudes, eventually building up into massive ice sheets.
Detailed explanation-3: -This is why the Earth’s 23.5 degree tilt is all important in changing our seasons. Near June 21st, the summer solstice, the Earth is tilted such that the Sun is positioned directly over the Tropic of Cancer at 23.5 degrees north latitude. This situates the northern hemisphere in a more direct path of the Sun’s energy.