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Warren Gaebel
Lv 4
Warren Gaebel asked in Science & MathematicsAstronomy & Space · 9 years ago

Which season is longer?

Which season is longer in the Northern Hemisphere: spring, summer, fall, or winter?

Update:

No, they're not equal in length for several reasons. Spring starts when the sun crosses the equator on its northbound journey. Summer starts when the sun is at its northernmost point. Fall starts when the sun crosses the equator on its southbound journey. Winter starts when the sun is at its southernmost point.

The dates of the two equinoxes and the two solstices can be anywhere from the 20th to the 23rd of the month. Because the earth's orbit is elliptical (not circular), the speed of the earth around the sun is not constant. Add the fact that the earth wobbles and you end up with four seasons of differing lengths.

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  • bikenbeer2000
    Lv 7
    9 years ago
    Favorite Answer

    The Earth is at aphelion (farthest from the Sun) in early July, so it is moving at its slowest at that time. This means that the time from the June solstice to the September equinox is the longest. So the northern hemisphere summer is the longest season.

    The diagram below shows the lengths of the seasons and how they change with time. The northern hemisphere summer is lengthening as the date which the Earth reaches aphelion slowly advances. When the date reaches early August (ie. mid-season), in a few thousand years time, the northern hemisphere summer will be at its longest.

    Source(s): http://individual.utoronto.ca/kalendis/solar/Seaso... http://individual.utoronto.ca/kalendis/seasons.htm
  • Roger
    Lv 7
    9 years ago

    Summer is the longest season and winter the shortest. This is because the Earth's orbit is an ellipse, the Earth's orbital speed varies during its orbit being faster when the Earth is closest to the Sun (perihelion) in early January (the 4th this year). The Earth reaches aphelion around July 4th, its orbital speed is the slowest.

  • Laddie Gah Gah
    Lv 7
    9 years ago

    Summer.

  • Anonymous
    9 years ago

    As far as I know, each season lasts 1/4 of a year.

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