Question

True or False: Winter is cold because the Earth is farther away from the sun.

Answer 1

False. Winter is not cold because the Earth is farther away from the sun; rather, it is due to the tilt of the Earth's axis. During winter in a given hemisphere, that hemisphere is tilted away from the sun, resulting in less direct sunlight and shorter days, which causes cooler temperatures. The distance from the sun changes throughout the year, but it is not the primary reason for seasonal temperature variations.