Book 7, Question 76
Why Do We Have Seasons?
We have seasons because the Earth is tilted as it travels around the Sun. The tilt changes how directly sunlight hits your part of the world as the year goes on. Direct sunlight means summer, and slanted sunlight means winter.
More fun facts
- Earth spins around its axis, an imaginary pole through its center, once every day.
- Solstices happen twice a year and bring the longest and shortest days.
- At the two equinoxes, neither half of Earth leans toward the Sun, so both get the same amount of sunlight.
- People have watched for solstices and equinoxes since ancient times, and many ancient observatories tracked them.
- Uranus is tilted about 98 degrees, so it spins on its side like a rolling ball.
- Uranus takes about 84 Earth years to go around the Sun once.
Sources: NASA Space Place, NASA Science, NASA Science, NASA Space Place, NASA Science
Questions kids ask
What is an equinox?
A day when neither half of Earth leans toward the Sun, so both get the same amount of sunlight.
Do other planets have seasons?
Yes. Uranus is tilted so far it spins on its side.