NASA On Air: A Reason For The Seasons (9/22/2014)

  • Released Monday, September 22, 2014
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LEAD: The fall or autumnal equinox, officially arrives at 10:29 PM, EDT Monday evening. Equinox means equal night and day.

1. Looking at the Northern Hemisphere, night is on the left and day is on the right.

2. Advancing to December, night on the left becomes longer and days become shorter.

3. It is the relative tilt of Earth, as it goes around the sun, that causes our seasons.

4. Fewer hours of sunshine result in our colder winter temperatures.

TAG: By December 21 Earth’s North Pole will be tilted 23.5 degrees away from the sun which decreases temperatures. When the Northern Hemisphere is tilted towards the sun temperatures can double.

NOTE

This video is also playable via NASAviz (iPad App): “Follow the Line” Oct 31, 2013.

Credits

Please give credit for this item to:
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center

This page was originally published on Monday, September 22, 2014.
This page was last updated on Wednesday, May 3, 2023 at 1:50 PM EDT.