The Earth is tilted on it’s axis at about a 23.45 degree angle perpendicular to the Plane of the Eclipt. Because of Earth's tilt, different regions of earth receive different amounts of direct and indirect sunlight. We call these various periods of time the seasons. When the Northern Hemisphere is tilted towards the sun it is experiencing summer, simultaneously, the Southern Hemisphere is experiencing winter, because it is tilted away from the Sun. During the Winter, the days are shorter because the sun rays hit the Earth at such an extreme angle. During the summer, days are longer because the sun is hitting the earth at a more direct angle. Earth's tilt is one of the main causes of the seasons, because it exposes different regions …show more content…
In late march and late september, we experience the equinoxes. This is when the sun rises in the east on the equator and sets in the west directly on the equator. This is when the sunlight is most direct on the equator. After the March equinox the sun will begin to appear like it is rising and setting more to the north. In late June, the summer solstice, the sun appear highest in the sky and began to move back south toward the equator. After the september equinox the sun will appear to move south, until late December, the winter solstice. The angle of sunlight is important because based upon the angle there will be different amounts of energy per unit of light. More energy means more heat so when the Sun appears farther from the earth, more heat is being produced because light is hitting earth's surface directly, for longer. This cycle causes seasons, because it affects how much energy earth is receiving from the sun's …show more content…
Direct and indirect sunlight are a result of Earth's tilt on it’s axis. When sunlight hits an object directly it is heated at a greater rate because it receiving more energy per unit affected. If the same object receives indirect sunlight it will heat at a lower rate because there is less energy per unit affected. In the summer, the sun is above the horizon longer than in the winter, because it is receiving more direct sunlight. The hemisphere experiencing summer will be warmer because it receives more direct sunlight for longer. Whereas the hemisphere experiencing winter will be cooler because it receiving less indirect sunlight. Direct and indirect sunlight are an important factor in why we experience the