Photo credit: University of Nebraska-Lincoln
The Seasons and Ecliptic Simulator from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln is a great tool to demonstrate to students how the change in the angle of sun’s rays is what is the cause for the Earth’s seasons. The closer the rays get to a 90 degree angle, the more the heat is absorbed and the hotter the temperature gets. The more angle there is the wider the area covered with the same amount of energy, the cooler the temperature gets.