Axial tilt causes parts of the Earth facing the Sun to receive more concentrated solar radiation
the verdict
SUPPORTED
the evidence backs this
refutedsupported
the weight of evidence
2 sources for · 0 against
Reference encyclopedias report that Earth's axial tilt causes the amount of sunlight reaching any given point on the surface to vary over the course of the year, creating seasonal climate changes as different hemispheres face the Sun.
Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to harbor life. This is made possible by Earth being an ocean world, the only one in the Solar System sustaining liquid surface water. Almost all of Earth's water is contained in its ocean, which covers 70.8% of Earth's crust. The remaining 29.2% of Earth's crust is land, which is predominantly located within Earth's lan
The…
The axial tilt of Earth is approximately 23.439281° with the axis of the plane of Earth's orbit by definition pointing always towards the Celestial Poles. Due to Earth's axial tilt, the amount of sunlight reaching any given point on the surface varies over the course of the year. This causes the seasonal change in climate, with summer in the Northern Hemisphere occurring when the Tropic of Cancer is facing the Sun, and in the Southern Hemisphere when the Tropic of Capricorn faces the Sun. In each instance, winter occurs simultaneously in the opposite hemisphere.
During the summer, the day lasts longer, and the Sun climbs higher in the sky. In winter, the climate becomes cooler and the days shorter. Above the Arctic Circle and below the Antarctic Circle there is no daylight at all for part of the year, causing a polar night, and this night extends for several months at the poles themselves. These same latitudes also experience a midnight sun, where the sun remains visible all day.
By astronomical convention, the four seasons can be determined by the solstices—the points in the orbit of maximum axial tilt toward or away from the Sun—and the equinoxes, when Earth's rotational axis is aligned with its orbital axis. In the Northern Hemisphere, winter solstice currently occurs around 21 December; summer solstice is near 21 June, spring equinox is around 20 March and autumnal equinox is about 22 or 23 September. In the Southern Hemisphere, the situation is reversed, with the summer and winter solstices exchanged and the spring and autumnal equinox dates swapped.
The angle of Earth's axial tilt is relatively stable over long periods of time. Its axial tilt does undergo nutation; a slight, irregular motion with a main period of 18.6 years. The orientation (rather than the angle) of Earth's axis also changes over time, precessing around in a complete circle over each 25,800-year cycle; this precession is the reason for the difference between a sidereal year and a tropical year. Both of these motions are caused by the varying attraction of the Sun and the Moon on Earth's equatorial bulge. The poles also migrate a few meters across Earth's surface. This polar motion has…
The correct scientific answer to, ‘How do the seasons occur?’ would be that they are caused by the axial tilt of the Earth. The axial tilt of the Earth causes the seasons, while seasonal changes occur due to the orbital motion of the Earth round the Sun. Studies in astronomy education show that students have many misconceptions about the reason why seasonal changes occur (for example: when the Earth is closer to the Sun it is summer, when farther away it is winter; the seasons occur because the Earth is orbiting the Sun, among others)
Everything we examined (2)
This check searched the claim as stated. It did not run a separate search for evidence against it.