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Is it true that when earth is closest to the sun is the northern hemisphere in winter?
Wiki User
∙ 11y ago
When Earth is closest to the sun the Southern Hemisphere receives more of the sun's rays, making it hotter, or summer there, and winteri nthe north.
Gregorio Lind
Wiki User
∙ 14y agoBecause of the tilt of the Earth's axis of rotation.
This axis remains fixed as the Earth revolves around the sun. During what we call "summer" in the Northern Hemisphere (which happens to coincide with the Earth's farthest distance away from the sun), the North Pole is tilted toward the sun. At this angle, at every surface location above the Tropic of Cancer (latitude approximately 23oN) sunlight has less atmosphere to travel through (because it's coming in at less of an angle) than it would have to travel through in the NH winter. This means that less sunlight is reflected back into space or absorbed in the upper atmosphere, and so more sunlight can reach the surface, causing more warmth at the surface.
The variable distance from the sun does cause a variation in sunlight received at the surface. I.e. the TOTAL warmth received over the surface of the ENTIRE planet is less when the Earth is farther from the sun. But this is not a huge difference, and it is well surpassed, on a hemispherical basis, by that of the axis tilt. The distance-from-the-sun effect, though, does make NH winters slightly warmer than they would otherwise be, and also makes NH summers cooler than they would otherwise be.
However, the opposite happens in the Southern Hemisphere, where the axis-tilt effect and the distance-from-the-sun effect work in the same direction in both winter and summer. This makes SH winters colder and SH summers hotter. The total effect is that the difference between temperatures in the NH have a smaller fluctuation between winter and summer than temperatures in the SH. In other words, the extremes (both high and low) are less extreme in the NH than in the SH. Or, temperatures are more STABLE, year-round, in the NH. Some people use this as an explanation for why human civilization first developed in the Northern Hemisphere. To this day, populations are much higher in the NH than the SH, even after adjusting for the smaller land area available in the SH. And nations in the NH are far more advanced than those in the SH. Stable temperatures are more favorable for civilization, and its advancement.
Wiki User
∙ 12y agoSeasons occur not due to the distance from the earth to the sun, but the tilt of the earth. When the North Pole is tilted away from the sun (and thus the south pole is tilted towards the sun) the southern hemisphere gets more direct sunlight, and for longer. Thus it is warmer on the southern hemisphere. This is why January is a colder month for the Northern hemisphere and a warmer one for the southern hemisphere.
Wiki User
∙ 12y agoThe distance from the sun to the perihelion of the earth's orbit, the point in the orbit that is closest to the sun, is 96.71% of the distance from the sun to the aphelion of the earth's orbit, the point in the orbit that is farthest from the sun. The seasonal effects of that difference are insignificant compared to the effects of the tilt of the earth's rotational axis with respect to the plane of its orbit.
Wiki User
∙ 11y agoNo. As it happens the Earth is closest to the sun when it is winter in the northern hemisphere. Seasons like summer and winter are related to the tilt of the earth with respect to the plane of its orbit about the sun, not to the distance from the sun.
Wiki User
∙ 11y agoIt is true when closest the sun also northern hemisphere. Winter coldest from afar.
Wiki User
∙ 11y agono.thw diference in season of the earth from sun it dosent play any role in earth
Wiki User
∙ 11y agoBecause the Sun is closer to the Southern Hemisphere at that time of year.
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What season of the year in the northern hemisphere is the earth closest in its approach to the sun?
Earth is at perihelion (closest approach to the sun) in early January. This is pretty close to the dead of winter in the northern hemisphere, not the spring or fall.
What will North America experience when the north end of the earth's axis is tilted toward the sun?
It is summer in the Northern Hemisphere but winter in the Southern Hemisphere.
What happens to winter temperatures in the northern hemisphere if tilt angle decreases to 22 degrees?
The earth has three motions around the sun. One is a wobble like a top. One is a change in the tilt angle. And one is the fact that the earth does not orbit the sun but it orbits the center of gravity of the solar system. When the earth has both the minimum tilt angle and the wobble is such that the closest distance to the sun in the northern hemisphere occurs in summer, an ice age occurs. When the earth has maximum tilt angle and the northern hemisphere was closest to the sun in winter, the ice ages end.
When it is winter in the northern hemisphere which areas on Earth get the most concentrated amount of light?
During the winter solstice in the northern hemisphere the 23 parallel in the southern hemisphere is receiving the most direct sunlight.
The northern hemisphere experiences winter when the earth is farthest from the sun?
The northern hemisphere does not experience winter when the Earth is farthest from the sun.The cause of the seasons is the Earth's axial tilt, which is independent of the apsides of Earth's orbit, known as aphelion and perihelion.When Earth is farthest from the sun, it is at aphelion. Aphelion currently occurs in July, which is the Northern Hemisphere's summer.
When is sun closest to equator?
in the northern hemisphere the sun is closest to earth in the dead of winter
Why is the Northern Hemisphere is in winter when earth is closest to the sun?
Because Earth travels in an ellipse.
When earth is closest to the sun the northern hemisphere is in winter?
Because Earth travels in an ellipse.
When Earth is closest to the sun the Northern Hemisphere is in winter.?
Because Earth travels in an ellipse.
Is it true that earth is closest to the sun when its summer in the northern hemisphere?
No. As it happens the Earth is closest to the sun when it is winter in the northern hemisphere. Seasons like summer and winter are related to the tilt of the earth with respect to the plane of its orbit about the sun, not to the distance from the sun.
When Earth is closest to the sun the Northern Hemisphere is in winter. Given the effects of precession will this still be the case in 13000 years?
When Earth is closest to the sun the northern hemisphere is in winter Given the effects of precession will this still be the case in 13000 years?
Earth is closest to the sun during which season in the northern hemisphere?
Winter. The Earth reaches its perihelion (the point in its orbit when it is closest to the sun) during the month of January (around January 3rd currently), which falls during the season of winter in the northern hemisphere.
Is it winter everywhere on earth when the earth is closest to the sun?
no, it is winter in either the northern hemisphere or the southern hemisphere.it all depends on the tilt of the earth to the sun.
When it is winter in the northern hemisphere is the earth closest to the sun?
no.Distance of the sun to earh it doesnt effect in anyway the earth.
When Earth is closest to the sun the northern hemisphere is in winter why is this true?
When Earth is closest to the sun the southern hemisphere receives more of the sun's rays, making it hotter, or summer there, and winteri nthe north.
When earth closest to the sun the northern hemisphere is in the winter why is this true?
When Earth is closest to the sun the Southern Hemisphere receives more of the sun's rays, making it hotter, or summer there, and winteri nthe north.
When Earth is closest to the sun the Northern Hemisphere is in winter. Why is this true?
When Earth is closest to the sun the Southern Hemisphere receives more of the sun's rays, making it hotter, or summer there, and winteri nthe north.
