Here in New England there are four very distinct seasons; Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall. These four seasons are a result the changing position of the earth in relation to the sun. The earth rotates or spins on an axis.
During the summer (July and August), the axis or north pole is tilted toward the sun, positioning the northern hemisphere into the sun's strongest rays. Therefore in July it is very hot in New England. However, the southern hemisphere is pointed away from the sun. It is not receiving direct sunlight. Therefore countries in the southern hemisphere, like Australia or New Zealand are very cold. That is why their winter is during our summer. While we sit at the beach on Cape Cod in Massachusetts, people are alpine skiing down the slopes of New Zealand.
(Our
Winter)During our winter (January and February), the earth is on the other side of the sun and the north pole is therefore tilted away from the sun, positioning the southern hemisphere in direct sunlight allowing them a beautiful summer while we hit the ski slopes in Vermont.
During the spring and fall the earth is positioned about the sun so that the sun will shine directly on the equator, dispersing its energy evenly among the northern and southern hemisphere. This allows for the moderate temperature we enjoy during spring and fall.
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