Top 10 Facts About the Four Seasons
The four seasons! Summer(⛱️), winter(❄️), spring(🌱), and fall(🍂). Why do we even have seasons? Where do they come from? Does the distance of the sun affect our seasons? Are the four seasons the same all across the globe? You've come to the right place to have fun with season reasons!The Earth's tilt plays a critical role in how the four seasons occur. It's this tilt that gives us our distinct seasons. Had we not had this tilt, our seasons would be complete mythology.
As soon as the Earth is positioned so that one hemisphere leans toward the Sun, that hemisphere receives direct sunlight. Hence, we get summer in that hemisphere, with longer days and warmer temperatures. On the other hand, the opposite hemisphere is further away from the Sun's rays, which brings winter to that region. How fascinating!
Biannually, neither hemisphere leans towards or away from the Sun. What does this result in? Spring and fall!
The Earth's tilt remains at a constant 23.3 degrees without flipping backwards.
Northern Hemisphere:
- Spring months: March, April, May
- Summer months: June, July, August
- Fall months: September, October, November
- Winter months: December, January, February
Southern Hemisphere:
- Spring months: September, October, November
- Summer months: December, January, February
- Fall months: March, April, May
- Winter months: June, July, August
During the fall months, trees tend to receive less sunlight and shed leaves to protect themselves against significant water loss. The trees shed leaves as part of protecting themselves from substantial energy loss because as the months become cooler, the amount of sunlight diminishes.
A solstice occurs biannually when the Sun is furthest north in the Northern Hemisphere and furthest south in the Southern Hemisphere. During both solstices, the Sun appears at its highest point in the sky.
How is that possible? Doesn't the distance from the Earth affect the temperature? Doesn't this mean the distance should affect the seasons too? Close, but not quite! The Earth's distance may play a minor role in weather and temperature, but the main factor determining the Earth's seasons is its 23.3-degree tilt.
A solar equinox occurs when the Sun appears directly above the equator, resulting in an equal amount of daylight and darkness being distributed over all latitudes.
Locations near the equator have less extreme seasonal variations compared to locations near the poles.
What? Not all locations have four seasons? How is that even possible? That's right! Near the equator, we have only two seasons: the wet and dry seasons. The reason this happens is due to the constant sunlight received at the equator. Fascinating!