Okay, I’ve always felt reasonably assured that I know and understand enough about astronomy and the solar system to explain why the Earth gets cold in winter and hot in summer. But on a few occasions I’ve heard people say some things about this that souded ridiculous.
A couple of days ago, I was talking to a new employee at my work about Panama (I live in the north western States). She said that right now, “it’s summer there”. Being the type to never preach about something I’m not entirely sure of, I didn’t respond to her comment. Isn’t it [almost] winter across the entire planet?
Here’s how I understand it: The earth revolves around the sun approximately every 365 days. At it’s aphelion, we’re talkin’ winter. Perehelion, summer. I’m right, right?
I’m going to regret asking this question if I am right…
Perihelion and aphelion have nothing to do with winter and summer. The seasons are caused by the tilt of the Earth’s axis. The axis always points in the same direction in space because the spinning Earth acts like a gyroscope. When the Northern hemisphere is tilted toward the Sun, the Southern hemisphere is tilted away. Thus, longer days in the North, shorter ones in the South, and summer in the North, winter in the South. Now imagine the Earth moves half-way around the Sun (6 months later): the tilt stays the same but the Earth is on the opposite side of the Sun, so the Northern hemisphere is tilted away from the Sun and has winter.
Hence, in Australia, Christmas always comes in summertime. Panama, however, is near the equator, and so I imagine it wouldn’t feel much affect of the tilt. Tropical areas usually have a rainy season and a dry season, rather than our Northern Hemisphere four seasons.
In fact, the Earth is closest to the Sun when it is winter in the northern hemisphere.
But Panama is located in the northern hemisphere so it is winter in Panama at the same time as in the USA. Except that Panama is in the tropics so the astronomical season may be the same but the weather is totally different. So, both the OP and the person he was talking to were missing quite a few things. And I am kind of surprised that any person with a minuimum of education would not know that it is summer in Australia when it’s winter in the northern hemisphere, and know the cause even if they cannot give a very good explanation.
It makes sense now. “Duh” I say. I can’t even find the words for how foolish I feel right now. I know the earth’s tilt doesn’t really fluctuate significantly, and this should have raised a flag for me. Oh well. Good thing I didn’t say anything when she told me that, eh?
I’m really NOT an idiot with astronomy. At least not anymore.
Here’s something else that I was ignorant about until recently…
In Australia right now, it’s summer. They CALL it summer and the weather is warmer. I would have figured that they would call it winter, but it’s LIKE our summer. Get what I’m saying? (Like to them, summer meant wearing warmer clothes. Winter means turn the Air Conditioning up…)
Not the case.:wally
Since I will be moving to Australia in June (marrying an Aussie), I figured things out. That means I have fall, winter, spring, fall, winter, spring, SUMMER! LOL Next time I see summer will be in December 2004!
Another interesting thing… In the fall, when we turn our clocks back, they’re in spring so they turn theirs forward. Melbourne is now 16 hours ahead of Montreal. But in OUR spring, Montreal’s time goes forward one hour. Theirs goes back. Then we will have a 14 hour difference. Try THAT for a long distance relationship! LOL
