The longest day of the year for us (in the northern hemisphere) occurs on:

a) July 4
b) June 21
c) September 22
d) December 21
e) April 14 (before taxes are due!)
 
2. The hottest month(s) of the year for us in the northern hemisphere are usually:
a) June-July
b) July-August
c) August-September
d) December-January
e) Whenever your car's air conditioning breaks!
 
3. Planet Earth is closest to the Sun during the month of:
a) June
b) January
c) August
d) July
e) Hah! You can't fool me! We are always the same distance!
 
4. Seasons in the southern hemisphere are:
a) Much more severe (hotter in summer, colder in winter)
b) Much milder
c) Exactly the same times and duration as ours
d) Opposite of those in the northern hemisphere
 
5. Summer for us in the northern hemisphere occurs because
a) The Earth is closest to the Sun during this season
b) The Earth is tilted so that the Northern Hemisphere is closer to the Sun than the Southern
Hemisphere
c) The Earth is tilted so that the Sun stays up higher in the sky, for a longer time.
d) There are fewer clouds and more sunny days.

Answers to the Reasons for Seasons Quiz:

1. (b) The longest day in the northern hemisphere is June 21st, the summer solstice. The word solstice
comes from sol (the Sun) and stice (meaning stop). On this day, the Sun "stops", reaching its highest
point in the noon sky, and on the succeeding days, is lower in the sky.

2. (b) The hottest months are usually July and August, after the oceans have warmed up. Note that the
days are longer in June and July, but the Northern Hemisphere and its oceans are still "chilled" from
winter and spring. Also note that local temperature variations may make some areas warmer in August
and September ("Indian Summer").

3. (b) The Earth is actually closest to the Sun in JANUARY! Check the chart of distances if you don't
believe me!

4. (d) The Southern Hemisphere has summer in December - February, and winter in June - August,
exactly opposite to us in the Northern Hemisphere. And when it is spring in the northern hemisphere, it
is autumn in the southern. And when it is autumn in the northern hemisphere, it is spring in the
southern.
5. (c) Seasons result from the Earth's tilt of 23.5°, which means that each hemisphere will alternately be
tilted towards the Sun, exposing the ground to more direct sunlight for longer periods. Just because the
planet is tilted with the northern hemisphere tilted toward the Sun does NOT mean that the northern
hemisphere is appreciably closer to the Sun. Recall that in July, the entire planet is much farther from
the Sun than it is in January. So if distance was the key, the entire planet would still have winter,
regardless of which hemisphere was tilted towards or away. The size of the earth is inconsequential
compared with the difference in distance (millions of miles) between January and July.