What causes the seasons

Earth's tilted axis, not its distance from the Sun, gives each hemisphere summer and winter.

1. Earth's axis is tilted by about 23.4 degrees. 2. Earth's axis keeps pointing the same way as it orbits the Sun. 3. For part of the year one hemisphere tilts toward the Sun and gets its most direct rays. 4. When a hemisphere tilts toward the Sun, it is summer there. 5. When a hemisphere tilts away from the Sun, it is winter there.

Sources: NASA Space Place, “What Causes the Seasons?” (Public domain (US Government work)); Wikipedia, “Axial tilt (Wikipedia)” (CC BY-SA 4.0). Illustrative, not to scale.

Source: NASA Space Place: What Causes the Seasons? · Public domain (US Government work)