Here’s a helpful story that clears up a common misconception about Earth’s orbit and the seasons. Leo loved watching the night sky. One chilly December evening, he asked his mom, “Why is it so cold if Earth is closest to the sun right now?”
Leo thought for a moment. “So distance to the sun isn’t what makes seasons?” what season is earth closest to the sun
“The universe is full of weird and wonderful surprises,” Mom said, smiling. Earth is closest to the sun in early January (perihelion), but seasons are caused by Earth’s axial tilt, not its distance from the sun. So even at our closest point, the Northern Hemisphere experiences winter because it’s tilted away from the sun’s direct rays. Here’s a helpful story that clears up a
Leo looked up at the cold, clear December sky. “So even when we’re closest to the sun, it’s winter here because of the tilt.” “So distance to the sun isn’t what makes seasons
“Exactly,” Mom said. “The tilt is the real star of the show. In fact, Earth’s orbit is almost a circle. The difference in distance is only about 3 million miles — tiny compared to 93 million miles total. That small change can’t beat the tilt’s effect.”
“That’s pretty cool,” Leo said, pulling his jacket tighter. “And a little weird.”