Seasons Simulator | The Schools' Observatory

In the UK, we experience 4 seasons each year. These are Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter. But why do we have seasons?

This animation shows you why we have seasons. Watch carefully what happens and read the words that appear on the screen.

If you’re still not sure what’s going on, you can read about why we have seasons here.

Approx Duration

< 15 mins

Transcript:

The Earth spins around this blue line, which is known as the Rotation Axis of the Earth.
But all the planets orbit around this yellow line, known as the Orbital Axis of the Solar System.
We have seasons because the Earth’s axis is titled compared to the orbital axis of the Solar System.
In summer, the Northern Hemisphere tilts towards the Sun, so that we see more daylight (long days).
In winter, the Northern Hemisphere tilts away from the Sun, so that the days are shorter.
The red line is to show that we see more of the Sun in the Northern hemisphere during the summer, and less in the winter.

If you liked this, why not try

Seasons - The Sun in the Sky

Explore Day and Night

Why Does the Earth Have Seasons?

Transcript:

About Us