Astronomy › Section D · Earth, Moon, and sky › Topic D.2
The seasons
Many people think summer comes when Earth is closest to the Sun. It doesn't: the seasons come from the tilt of Earth's axis, which changes how high the Sun climbs and how long it stays up. A little geometry explains why Sydney swims while London shivers.
In this topic
- Not distance, but tilt
- Leaning towards the Sun
- Two reasons summer is warmer
- Worked example: the noon Sun at 40° N
- Solstices and equinoxes
- Tropics and polar circles
- Worked example: summer in Sydney
- Seasons at different latitudes
- Lags, twilight and the real sky
- Common mistakes to avoid
- Key takeaways
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