Is the Earth hotter in summer because it is closer to the Sun?

It is the tilt of the Earth’s axis of rotation in relation to the Sun’s rays that affects the cycle of the seasons. – Credit: Alexandre Marchi / MaxPPP / Photoqr/L’Est Republic / MaxPPP

BWhy is summer hotter than winter? It is not the distance between the Earth and the Sun that determines temperature variations between seasons: also, when the Northern Hemisphere is in summer, it is the period when the Earth is farthest from the Sun. In fact, it is the tilt of the Earth’s axis of rotation in relation to the Sun’s rays that determines the cycle of the seasons.

On the contrary

In fact, the Earth’s axis of rotation (corresponding to the axis connecting the North and South Poles) is tilted by approximately 23 degrees with respect to the Sun: so the Sun’s rays reach the Earth at a different angle. Time of year. When Earth’s northern hemisphere is tilted more towards the sun, this half is in summer and the southern hemisphere is in winter. Six months later, when Earth finds itself on the other side of the Sun, the opposite is true: the southern hemisphere, which is closer to the Sun at this time, receives more rays due to the tilt of our planet’s axis of rotation. From the sun and in summer, while the north is in winter.

Read moreDrought: France sets record for most days without rainThis gradient also explains that the days are not the same length throughout the year, except when you are at the equator! In fact, the tilt of the Earth has no effect: the length of the days does not vary as much as the amount of sunlight reaching the Earth. […] Read more

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