ESTACIONES DEL AÑO

CHARACTERISTICS OF SEASONS
The seasons are each one of the periods of time the year is divided, with a duration more that
the months, characterized by the typical behavior of some meteorological variable
(temperature, precipitation, winds, etc). They´re present of way cyclical and inverted between
one hemisphere and another.
The succession of the seasons is caused by astronomical characteristics of the planet. There
is a idea wrong and very extended that the seasons can to duty to the elliptical form of the orbit
and that, in its movement translation, moves the planet far and near to the Sun. The true cause
of the seasons is found in the combination of the movement translation with the inclination of
the axis of rotation practically constant through a year. In this way, any planet (or even
satellites) if have a inclination diferent to 0, it Will have seasons
To from then on a piont generan view, the 4 seasons can to understood of follow way
 Winter. It is the coldest time of the year, in which If the Sun hits less directly and less
intensely, then the growth plant going to slows or stops and in some places Will arrive
to produce frost, snowfall and other phenomenon more extensive
 Spring. It is the time of rebirth, when the Sun to heat again and the ice begins to melt,
the plants Will take the opportunity to green up and flourish. species animal Hibernating
come out of their burrows and the days begin to lengthen.
 Summer. It is the hottest time of the year, when the Sun impacts direc and intense
raising temperatures, then it is the season harvest, when plants produce fruit and most
animals Will take advantage to reproduce.
 fall. It is the time when come to withered of the trees will always wither, if the climate is
going to start to get cold, the climate will also prepare life for the arrive of winter. It is a
time culturally associated with melancholy and sadness, cause the nights begin to
become longer than the days.
WHY DO THE SEASONS EXIST?
The astronomical and geodetic elements that are related with the seasons are: the movement
translation, the inclination axial and the form of the planet measurement by latitude.
TRANSLATION MOVEMENT
If The planet tours around the Sun in an orbit that is shaped like an ellipse, with the Sun at
ones of its focus, then the distance between the planet and the Sun will be changeable
throughout the year. Around July 4, the Earth passes through a point called afelio at which has
the greatest distance from the Sun (152 million km approximately). To pass Six months later,
around January 4, the Earth passes through the opposite point called perihelion in which has
the distance minimum from the Sun (147 million km approximately). The difference of the
distance represents 3.4%.
If the movement translational and the elliptical orbit could explain changes seasonal in the
south hemisphere, the difference in energy received is very small, then it wont explain the
difference in temperature between the seasons opposite in this hemisphere. For example: in
the city of San Juan (Argentina) the temperature summer is usually 27º and the winter
temperature is 8º.
The orbit elliptical and the fact that the planet to cover to do with a variable speed are the
reasons why the seasons wont to have the same duration. The planet moves fast when is near
to the sun (perihelio, in January) and slower when is far (aphelion, in July).
LATITUDE
One of the variables important that are involved in seasonal changes is the angle of incidence
of solar radiation to it is exposed. Insolation depends the angle formed by the sun's rays and
the surface . If the rays hit perpendicular to the surface (90º), then they will transmit their
energy on a surface smaller and the insolation is maximum. If they hit with an angle less to 90º,
then the surface in the energy is distributed will increase, then the insolation is less.
AXIAL TILT
The axis of rotation is inclined with respect to the plane of the orbit, then the plane equatorial
and the plane of the elliptical are not the same plane. This is called the tilt axial or obliquity of
the ecliptic. The angle between the equatorial plane and the plane ecliptic is to from then on
23.27º. The inclination of the axis is practically constant through a year, is to say, is always aim
in the same direction.
SOLSTICES AND EQUINOXES
The four key points of the Earth's orbital path around the Sun are called the solstice and
equinox, which always occur on the same date and will mark the transit between one season
and the other. There are two solstices and two equinoxes, which are:
SOLSTICE OF JUNE 21. At this point in its orbit, located between autumn and summer, the
Earth exposes its northern hemisphere towards the Sun, so that the sun's rays impact
perpendicularly on the Tropic of Cancer. If the north gets hot and the south gets cold; then the
nights of the south to will get longer, just like the days of the north
EQUINOX OF SEPTEMBER 21. At this point in the orbit, located between summer and
autumn, If both poles are exposed to solar radiation, then its rays to will fall perpendicular to
the Earth's equator.
SOLSTICE OF DECEMBER 21. At this point in its orbit, located between autumn and winter,
the Earth exposes the southern hemisphere to the Sun, so that the sun's rays fall
perpendicularly on the Tropic of Capricorn. If the south gets hot and the north gets cold, then
the nights in the north to will get longer, as will the days in the south
EQUINOX OF MARCH 21. At this point in its orbit when it is located between winter and
spring, the Earth will expose both hemispheres to the Sun, and its rays impact perpendicularly
on the equator.