Earth Sun Relationships
The relationship between the Earth and Sun is profound. The Sun provides the necessary energy for life to survive and thrive on our planet. The Sun creates the heat to keep us warm, the winds that shape our landscape and circulate our air, the water evaporation that creates clouds and rain that fill our rivers, and causes photosynthesis that produces carbohydrates that provide us with nourishment. Most importantly, the Sun’s gravity keeps the Earth in a one-year orbit that allows all of the above situations to occur. For purposes of this report, I will concentrate on a few of the most important aspects of the Earth – Sun relationship; the Sun’s affect on seasons and day lengths, weather/climate, and atmospheric temperature. There is a popular misconception that the changing distance from the Sun causes the change in seasons. However, how far the Earth is from the Sun has nothing to do with the changing of the seasons. ... 5-degree tilt of the Earth on its axis causes the seasons. The Earth is at its closest distance to the Sun in January and the furthest in July.