The Reasons for the Seasons:
How the Earth and Sun interact to Create Seasons

The Sun's Rays

If you shine a flashlight at the ceiling, the region that is illuminated shrinks or grows depending on whether you point it straight up at the ceiling or at an angle. Similarly, the Sun's energy spreads out over differing geographic areas when it reaches Earth's spherical surface.

Solar energy is most concentrated in the area where the Sun is overhead at noon, the location of which changes with the season. Maximum intensity of the Sun's radiation occurs when the sun is directly overhead. The following figure demonstrates how sunlight intensity depends on the location on earth and the season. The direct beam of light is less intense when it is aimed at a large angle at a surface, as the illuminated area gets larger.

Here is an activity to explore how the sun's rays strike Earth.

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