Day and night are caused by the rotation of the Earth on its axis. The Earth rotates once approximately every 24 hours, creating a cycle of light and darkness. When one side of the Earth faces the Sun, it experiences daylight, while the opposite side, which is in shadow, experiences night. As the Earth continues to rotate, different areas of the planet move into and out of sunlight, resulting in the continuous cycle of day and night.
The seasons are caused by the tilt of the Earth's axis and its orbit around the Sun. The Earth's axis is tilted at an angle of about 23.5 degrees relative to its orbital plane. As the Earth orbits the Sun throughout the year, this tilt causes different parts of the Earth to receive varying amounts of sunlight at different times of the year.
- Summer occurs in the hemisphere tilted toward the Sun, resulting in longer days and more direct sunlight.
- Winter occurs in the hemisphere tilted away from the Sun, leading to shorter days and less direct sunlight.
- Spring and Autumn (Fall) occur during the transitional periods when neither hemisphere is significantly tilted toward or away from the Sun, resulting in more equal day and night lengths.
This combination of axial tilt and orbital motion leads to the changing seasons we experience throughout the year.
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