Why are the seasons different in the two hemispheres?

1 Answer
May 2, 2016

Because of the tilt of the Earth, both hemispheres received varying amounts of solar radiation (called insolation) during the year.

Explanation:

The Earth maintains a constant tilt as it revolves around the sun throughout its 365 day journey around the Sun. So this means that in summer in the Northern hemisphere there is more direct insolation and hence warmer summers. At the same time the southern hemisphere is pointed away from the Sun, so it cooler and their winter.

As the Earth moves to winter in the N. hemisphere, this hemisphere tends to be pointed away from the Sun and so there is less and more diffuse insolation reaching this hemisphere. So, its cool and winter,
Spring and fall are just the transition times between the extremes of summer and winter.

http://www.astronomy.ohio-state.edu/~pogge/Ast161/Unit2/seasons.html image source here