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Sunday, December 12, 2010

Axial tilt and seasons

Axial tilt and seasons

The angle of the Earth's tilt is relatively stable over long periods of time. However, the tilt does undergo; a slight, irregular motion with a main period of 18.6 years. The orientation (rather than the angle) of the Earth's axis also changes over time around in a complete circle over each 25,800 year cycle; this precession is the reason for the difference between a sidereal year & a both of these motions are caused by the varying attraction of the Sun and Moon on the Earth's equatorial bulge. From the perspective of the Earth, the poles also migrate a few meters across the surface. This has multiple, cyclical components, which collectively are termed In addition to an annual component to this motion, there is a 14-month cycle called the. The rotational velocity of the Earth also varies in a phenomenon known as length of day variation


Because of the axial tilt of the Earth, the amount of sunlight reaching any given point on the surface varies over the course of the year. This results in change in climate, with summer in the northern hemisphere occurring when the North Pole is pointing toward the Sun, and winter taking place when the pole is pointed away. During the summer, the day lasts longer and the Sun climbs higher in the sky. In winter, the climate becomes generally cooler and the days shorter. Above the an extreme case is reached where there is no daylight at all for part of the year—a In the southern hemisphere the situation is exactly reversed, with the oriented opposite the direction of the North Pole.

 

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