What Season Is Earth Closest To The Sun -

“Exactly,” Mom said. “The tilt is the real star of the show. In fact, Earth’s orbit is almost a circle. The difference in distance is only about 3 million miles — tiny compared to 93 million miles total. That small change can’t beat the tilt’s effect.”

“That’s pretty cool,” Leo said, pulling his jacket tighter. “And a little weird.”

“You’ve got it,” Mom said.

“Let me show you something,” Mom said. She grabbed a flashlight and an orange. “The sun is the flashlight, and Earth is the orange.” She tilted the orange slightly on an imaginary axis.

She continued, “In July, we’re actually farthest from the sun — but the Northern Hemisphere tilts toward the sun. The sunlight hits us directly, making it hot summer.” what season is earth closest to the sun

Leo’s eyes widened. “Wait — so we’re closer to the sun in winter? That doesn’t make sense. Shouldn’t it be hot?”

Leo thought for a moment. “So distance to the sun isn’t what makes seasons?” “Exactly,” Mom said

“Earth is tilted,” she explained. “In December and January, the Northern Hemisphere — where we live — is tilted away from the sun. So even though we’re a bit closer to the sun overall, the sunlight hits us at a low angle, spreading out and giving us less heat. That’s winter.”