Name___________________________________________________________Date____________Block______
Reasons for the Seasons
Why do you think we have warmer weather in the summer time?
1. Based on the chart on the back page of this packet when are we closest to the sun?
2. Does this contradict your initial reasoning?
3. During what time of the day is it easiest to get a sunburn?
4. Why is it easiest to burn at this time?
5. What happens to the length of the day in the fall as December approaches?
6. Based on the diagrams above what happens to the sun on June 21 st?
7. What day of the year do you think is the shortest?
8. Just by the track of the sun across the sky why is it colder in winter?
9. Based on the angle of Earth compared to the sun why is it warmer in summer?
10. If the northern hemisphere is tilted towards the sun what happens to southern
hemisphere?
11. When does winter occur in the Australia?
12. At what angle is the Earth tilted at with respect to the Sun? __________ degrees
13. How do the Sun’s rays impact the equator at noon during an equinox?
14. When the Northern Hemisphere is experiencing autumn, which season is the
Southern Hemisphere experiencing?
15. During which season is the Earth closest to the Sun in the Northern Hemisphere?
Diagram 1 Suns Path Across the Sky
Diagram 2 Sun Position as Seasons Change
Date
January 12
Earth-Sun Distance
147,122,000 km
(91,417,000 miles)
Date
Earth-Sun Distance
July 12:
152,076,000 km
(94,496,000 miles)
August 17
151,470,000 km
(94,119,000 miles)
September 14:
150,499,000 km
(93,516,000 miles)
October 15:
149,194,000 km
(92,705,000 miles)
147,623,000 km
February 11:
(91,729,000 miles)
149,206,000 km
March 26:
(92,712,000 miles)
149,891,000 km
April 10:
(93,198,000 miles)
151,452,000 km
May 23
(94,108,000 miles)
147,534,000 km
November 16
(91,673,000 miles)
151,947,000 km
June 15
(94,415,000 miles)
December 15:
147,249,000 km
(91496,000 miles)
Perihelion
147,097,641 km
Jan 4
(91,402,237 miles)
Aphelion
July 4:
152,087,478 km
(94,502,778 miles)
* Quiz Next class on seasons vocabulary, what cause the seasons and how they affect
each hemisphere.
KEY
11. When does winter occur in the Australia?
12. At what angle is the Earth tilted at with respect to the Sun? __________ degrees
13. How do the Sun’s rays impact the equator at noon during an equinox?
14. When the Northern Hemisphere is experiencing autumn, which season is the
Southern Hemisphere experiencing?
15. During which season is the Earth closest to the Sun? Don’t forget to indicate
which hemisphere you are talking about.
Diagram 1 Suns Path Across the Sky
Diagram 2 Sun Position as Seasons Change