When it is July and summer in the United States, what season is it in Australia?
ASummer -- all countries have the same seasons at the same time
BSpring -- Australia is one season behind
CWinter -- the Southern Hemisphere has opposite seasons from the Northern Hemisphere
DThere are no seasons in Australia
The Northern and Southern Hemispheres have opposite seasons because of Earth's tilt. In July, the Northern Hemisphere tilts toward the sun (summer), while the Southern Hemisphere tilts away (winter). So while Americans enjoy summer in July, Australians are bundled up in winter. In January, it reverses -- winter in the US, summer in Australia.
Question 2 True / False
Most place on Earth experiences the same four seasons with cold winters and warm summers.
TTrue
FFalse
Answer: False
Seasons vary greatly depending on where you are. Near the equator (tropical regions), it stays warm year-round and instead of summer and winter, there may be a wet season and a dry season. Near the poles, seasons are extreme -- the Arctic has months of continuous sunlight in summer and months of darkness in winter. The familiar four-season pattern with moderate differences is typical of mid-latitude regions.
Question 3 Short Answer
Why do the Northern Hemisphere and the Southern Hemisphere have opposite seasons?
Think about your answer, then reveal below.
Model answer: Because of Earth's tilt. When the Northern Hemisphere tilts toward the sun and gets more direct sunlight (summer), the Southern Hemisphere is tilted away from the sun and gets less direct sunlight (winter). Six months later, the positions reverse. Since both hemispheres cannot tilt toward the sun at the same time, their seasons are always opposite.
This question ties back to the cause of seasons. Understanding opposite hemispheric seasons is strong evidence that seasons are caused by tilt, not by distance from the sun -- if distance were the cause, both hemispheres would have the same season simultaneously.