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Seasons
Help File

  • HELP. Displays this help screen. To exit, click one of the Exit Help buttons located at the top and bottom of this screen.

    Earth's Tilt

    Choose Earth's tilt from 0 (untilted) to 90 (rolling on its side like Uranus) to 180 (rotating backwards like Venus). Here are the tilts of all of the planets in the Solar System for comparison.
    Planet
    Tilt (in degrees)
    Mercury
    2.0
    Venus
    177.3
    Earth
    23.5
    Mars
    25.2
    Jupiter
    3.1
    Saturn
    26.7
    Uranus
    97.8
    Neptune
    29.6
    Pluto
    122.5

    Earth's spin axis (red arrow with N in Figure) is tilted by 23.5 degrees from perfectly perpendicular to its orbit (dashed circle). As Earth moves along its orbit, different parts of the planet face the Sun. The North pole of the spin axis points more toward the Sun during some times (June, summer in the North) and more away from it at other times (December, winter in the North).

    Your Latitude

    Choose the latitude of your location on Earth. This angle varies from 90 degrees South (-90 degrees) at the South Pole to 90 degrees North at North Pole.

    Amimation Speed

  • Different computers run java at different speeds. The animation speed varies by about a factor of twenty from "Slow" to "Lightening Fast".

  • SUBMIT FORM. See the seasons change from Earth's perspective.

  • LOAD DEFAULTS. Resets to the Earth's correct 23.5 degree tilt and the latitude of the University of Maryland.

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