Article will open in a new window. S ummary of Article This article begins by dispelling a myth about seasons. Many people believe that seasons occur because the distance between the Sun and Earth changes throughout the year as the Earth orbits the Sun. This is simply not true.
Seasons occur because of two factors working together.
These include the orbit of the Earth around the Sun while the Earth remains in the plane of the ecliptic, and the tilt of the Earth's axis. This article uses animation to explain these two components. The article winds down by reviewing NASA's recent and emerging investigations into the changing of seasons, and the rotation and orbit of the Earth. 9th grade - 12th grade R elated Topics Earth Science Students can learn about the existence of seasons. This makes an excellent introduction to a lesson block about the biosphere and the biomes of the world.