Pop Quiz!

Why are there seasons on the Earth?

1. The Earth orbits the Sun not in a circular orbit, but in an elliptical orbit.  The Earth, therefore, is closer to the Sun during the summer than it is during the winter.

2. The axis of the Earth is tipped by 23.5^o, so that the sunlight is more directly overhead at some periods during the year than it is at other times of the year.