sauravsen
May 9, 2007, 09:14 AM
It is said that the seasonal difference is due to the tilted axis of the earth on which it rotates. Doesn't the elliptical path of the earth on which it revolves around the sun has any impact. Please detail out.
Capuchin
May 9, 2007, 09:32 AM
Basically, the tilted axis causes the seasons, and the eccentricity of the orbit causes a very small change in the severity of those seasons. This means that the southern hemisphere should have more severe seasons, as their summer coincides with perihelion, and their winter coincides with aphelion. Whereas the northern hemisphere should have less sever seasons for the same reasoning.
However it's all swamped under bigger local effects such as weather patterns, cloud cover, etc.
Mars, on the other hand, has a more eccentric orbit, and the aphelion and perihelion play a much bigger role in the seasons there.