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Why Earth is Tilted — Josh Universe
5 min readJun 16, 2024
The Earth is tilted on its axis by 23.5 degrees due to a collision with a Mars-sized asteroid approximately 4.5 billion years ago.
- Earth’s axial tilt of approximately 23.5 degrees is believed to have been caused by an impact from a planet-sized object billions of years ago.
- The tilt of the Earth’s axis remains relatively constant, leading to seasonal variations in sunlight and temperature.
- Seasons occur due to the tilt of the Earth’s axis, which causes different parts of the planet to receive varying amounts of sunlight throughout the year.
- During summer in one hemisphere, the tilt causes the pole to be tilted toward the Sun, resulting in longer daylight hours and warmer temperatures.
- Conversely, the pole tilts away from the Sun during winter, leading to shorter days and cooler temperatures.
- Earth’s tilt also results in equal parts of the planet receiving sunlight and darkness during equinoxes, but variations increase further from the equator.
- Changes in sunlight intensity due to Earth’s tilt affect temperature and weather patterns across the planet.
- Earth’s tilt remains consistent as it orbits the Sun, causing seasonal changes based on the angle of sunlight exposure.