What primarily causes Earth's seasons?
Earth's 23.5-degree axial tilt, not changing distance from the Sun.
- Earth's changing orbital speed
- Earth's 23.5-degree axial tilt ✔
- Monthly changes in solar output
Why: Earth's tilted axis changes solar angle and daylight duration through the year. Distance is not the main cause, and Earth is actually closest to the Sun during Northern Hemisphere winter.
Huh, didn't know that: The two hemispheres have opposite seasons because each tilts toward the Sun at a different part of Earth's orbit.
Earth has seasons because it approaches the year from a different angle.
References
Answer: Earth's 23.5-degree axial tilt. Earth's tilted axis changes solar angle and daylight duration through the year. Distance is not the main cause, and Earth is actually closest to the Sun during Northern Hemisphere winter.
- Astronomy 2e Chapter 4 Summary openstax.org/books/astronomy-2e/pages/4-summary
The familiar cycle of the seasons results from the 23.5° tilt of Earth’s axis of rotation.
Checked 2026-10-10.
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