1.3 The Seasons

This display illustrates the effects of the seasons on the Earth during its year-long orbit. 

At the centre is our Sun. Our planet appears four times on its terrestrial orbit, at the beginning of each season. The axis of the Earth always maintains a constant direction. lts inclination causes variations in the duration of sunshine and the angle at which solar radiation hits the ground.

Rotate the globes to observe these effects at different periods of the year and on different parts of the Earth.

By slipping a blade of grass into the small holes, you can more easily imagine the resulting shadows at different times of the day or during the different seasons.