Earths Axis

3 Pages 650 Words

Seasons are caused by the tilt of Earth’s axis of rotation at 23.5 degrees offset of the axis from the direction perpendicular to the Earth’s orbital plane. The direction of the rotational axis stays nearly fixed in space, even as the Earth revolves around the sun once a year. As a result, when the Earth is at a certain place in its orbit, the Northern hemisphere is tilted towards the sun and experiences summer. Six months later the Northern hemisphere is tilted away from the sun and experiences winter. The seasons are reversed for the Southern hemisphere.
Many factors change due to the tilt of the Earth, whether it is at the normal 23.5 degrees, at 45 degrees or at no tilt at all. The tilt of the Earth has a major effect on the seasons around the world and the amount of daylight that each particular geographic location receives.
If the Earth were not tilted, the days would act like the equinox at all geographic locations. Thus, each area would experience 12 hour days and 12 hour nights. If the earth were tilted at 45 degrees, days in the Northern hemisphere during winter would be shorter as you move towards the pole. If you were in the Southern hemisphere your days would be longer as you moved towards the pole. The Arctic circle and Antarctica would experience total darkness and total light throughout the year., depending on the amount of direct sunlight that those locations receive. During summer solstice when the Earth is tilted at a 45 degree north slope you would have total darkness and total light, this would of coarse be reversed in the Southern hemisphere.
At the equator you would see 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of darkness at the equinox’s. The days would decrease through the winter and then the Spring equinox the days would decrease through summer. The result of this is extreme day changes at the equator. For instance, at summer solstice, our northern tier of states(anywhere north of 45 degrees no...