Leo looked up at the cold, clear December sky. “So even when we’re closest to the sun, it’s winter here because of the tilt.”
Here’s a helpful story that clears up a common misconception about Earth’s orbit and the seasons. Leo loved watching the night sky. One chilly December evening, he asked his mom, “Why is it so cold if Earth is closest to the sun right now?” 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 looked up at the cold, clear December sky
“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. One chilly December evening, he asked his mom,
“That’s pretty cool,” Leo said, pulling his jacket tighter. “And a little weird.”
“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.”