Question by TS: Why is there minimal sunlight in Alaska during the winter months?
What EXACTLY happens to cause this? Is unique to Alaska? What other habitable places does this? Exactly how many hours/days of sunlight do Alaska get during the winter?
Best answer:
Answer by Roger S
The earth’s axis of rotation is tilted. In the summer it is pointing towards the sun and northern regions have very long days. In the winter it is on the exact opposite side of the sun and now tilts away. This causes long nights. The same thing happens in the southern polar regions, but in exactly the opposite order. Christmas comes in the middle of summer in Australia.
Add your own answer in the comments!
This happens for the earth poles . Because the earth rotation have an angle , so when the earth is at a side ( half the orbit) from the sun , a pole get sunlight for 6months and the other have completely no sunlight for 6months ,and when it get to the other side( the other half of the orbit ) from the sun the sunlight hit the pole that is in it’s way for 6 months and the other pole is in darkness because it’s at an angle from the sunlight, so it wont hit it before another 6months .
You need pictures to fully understand how the earth is