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Seasons Quick Facts  QUICK FACTS - Seasons Before the 17th century it was generally believed that the Sun and the other planets moved around the Earth. It was only when scientists discovered that the Earth actually moves around the Sun that we finally understood why we have seasons. As the Earth moves around the Sun, different parts of the Earth are tilted towards the Sun. The area that is tilted toward towards the Sun has summer, while the area that faces away has winter. The tilt of the Earth's axis is 23.5º from the vertical. The tilt is constant; the axis points constantly at the distant star Polaris. When the Sun is low in the sky, its rays must heat more atmosphere and a greater amount of ground than when it is high in the sky. That is one of the reasons why it is always cold in Antarctica, hot in the tropics and why winter is colder than summer. Temperatures on the surface of the Earth have been recorded between -89ºC to 58ºC. In Vostok, in Antarctica; temperatures average a f-f-freezing -57.8ºC. Meteorologists in Antarctica carry out extensive research into changing climate conditions. One of the things that they monitor is the seasonal hole in the ozone layer that lies above Antarctica. Many small creatures are sensitive to changes in the weather. The chirruping sound that grasshoppers make when they rub their hind legs rapidly against their front wings, actually gets louder at the temperature rises. More Information >> Seasons Contents >> Quick Facts<< The Seasons What Causes Seasons ? Seasons in Antarctica Links