Mrs. Smith 2012

Radiation from the Sun provides nearly all of the energy that heats the Earth and controls our climate and thus our seasons. THE SUN

THE EARTH IS TILTED & CURVED! The tilt of the Earth and its curved surface cause it to receive different amounts of radiation and thus different amounts of heat from the Sun.

The Earth is tilted 23.5º from upright or perpendicular in its orbit around the Sun. The North Pole is constantly pointing towards the star Polaris, also known as the North Star. EARTH’S AXIS

The Earth follows an elliptical path or orbit around the sun. This means that at some times of the year it is closer to the sun than at others. However, this is NOT what gives us our seasons! EARTH’S ORBIT

DISTANCE IS LESS IMPORTANT THAN TILT! It is the tilt of Earth on its axis that controls the amount of radiation different parts of the Earth get from the Sun at different times of the year.

EQUINOX MEANS EQUAL! During the Vernal and Autumnal Equinoxes the incoming solar energy is equal in both hemispheres.

SOLSTICE During the Summer Solstice the northern hemisphere gets more solar energy than the southern hemisphere. It is the opposite in winter.

SUMMER SOLSTICE

WINTER SOLSTICE

THE SEASONS Seasons of 2014: VERNAL EQUINOXMarch 20, 12:57 A.M. SUMMER SOLSTICEJune 21, 6:51 A.M. AUTUMNAL EQUINOXSeptember 22, 10:29 P.M. WINTER SOLSTICEDecember 21, 6:03 P.M.

STONEHENGE