Spring
North: March – May
South: September – November
Days get longer and nights get shorter.
Flowers bloom and baby animals are born.
Spring equinox (about 20–21 March in the north)
Why do we have seasons?
It is not because Earth gets closer to the Sun. It is because Earth is tilted. Explore it month by month.
Season explorer
Pick where you live and a month. What season is it?
1. Where in the world?
Summer
Summer in July
- Earth's tilt
- Daylight
- The Sun
- Other side of the world
It's all about the tilt
Earth takes a year to go round the Sun. Its axis always leans the same way, by 23.5°. So sometimes the north leans towards the Sun, and sometimes away.
March and September are equinoxes: day and night are about equal.
Myth: "Summer is when Earth is closest to the Sun"
Not true! Earth is closest to the Sun in early January, which is winter in the north. The distance only changes by about 3%.
What matters is the tilt. When your part of the world leans towards the Sun, sunlight hits the ground more directly and the days are longer. That makes it warmer.
The four seasons
Months are for the north, with the south in brackets.
Summer
North: June – August
South: December – February
The longest days of the year.
The Sun is high in the sky, so it is the warmest time of year.
Summer solstice (about 21 June in the north)
Autumn (Fall)
North: September – November
South: March – May
Days get shorter and nights get longer.
Leaves change colour and fall from the trees.
Autumn equinox (about 22–23 September in the north)
Winter
North: December – February
South: June – August
The shortest days of the year.
The Sun is low in the sky, so it is the coldest time of year.
Winter solstice (about 21 December in the north)
Solstice or equinox?
Solstices
From Latin sol (sun) and sistere (to stand still). These are the longest and shortest days.
- • About 21 June: longest day in the north, shortest in the south.
- • About 21 December: shortest day in the north, longest in the south.
Equinoxes
From Latin aequus (equal) and nox (night). Day and night are about the same length.
- • About 20 March: spring in the north, autumn in the south.
- • About 22 September: autumn in the north, spring in the south.
Seasons quiz
1 / 5For teachers and parents
- • Curriculum links: UK Year 3 and Year 5 science (Earth and space, seasonal change), and US NGSS 1-ESS1-2 (seasonal patterns of daylight) and 5-ESS1-2.
- • Time link: compare the daylight hours for different months. Which month has the most?
- • Try this: use a torch and a tilted globe or ball to show how the light spreads out more or less.
- • Common misconception: distance from the Sun causes the seasons. It does not. Ask pupils to explain why.
- • Related: time zones and capital cities and the 24-hour clock.
Questions
Why do we have seasons?
Seasons happen because Earth's axis is tilted by about 23.5 degrees. As Earth orbits the Sun, each hemisphere leans towards the Sun for part of the year (summer) and away from it for another part (winter).
Are seasons caused by Earth being closer to the Sun?
No. Earth is actually closest to the Sun in early January, in the middle of northern winter. The tilt of the axis causes the seasons, not the distance.
Why is it summer in Australia when it is winter in the UK?
The northern and southern hemispheres lean towards the Sun at opposite times of the year, so their seasons are opposite.
What is the difference between a solstice and an equinox?
A solstice is the longest or shortest day of the year (about 21 June and 21 December). An equinox is when day and night are about equal (about 20 March and 22 September).