Comments on: Are the December solstice and the January perihelion related? http://earthsky.org/space/are-the-december-solstice-and-the-january-perihelion-related A Clear Voice for Science Fri, 25 May 2012 03:38:58 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Skull http://earthsky.org/space/are-the-december-solstice-and-the-january-perihelion-related/comment-page-1#comment-628021 Skull Tue, 03 Jan 2012 19:58:16 +0000 http://208.96.63.114/?p=2548#comment-628021 I do not get it. What causes our fairly stable orbit around the sun to slow down and change the perihelion date every 60 years? I do not get it. What causes our fairly stable orbit around the sun to slow down and change the perihelion date every 60 years?

]]> By: EarthSky http://earthsky.org/space/are-the-december-solstice-and-the-january-perihelion-related/comment-page-1#comment-364710 EarthSky Sun, 02 Jan 2011 20:47:48 +0000 http://208.96.63.114/?p=2548#comment-364710 Tiffany, I'm not sure. Distance is just one factor. There are many complicated variables at work. For example, the length of the seasons is a bit different in each hemisphere. That's because we're at perihelion in northern hemisphere winter, and therefore moving fastest in orbit around that time. So are fewer days between the December solstice and the March equinox than between the June solstice and September equinox - in other words, winter is a few days shorter in the northern hemisphere. But I think a more important variable might be the ratio of land to water in each hemisphere, which would have a big effect in moderating temperatures. We'll look into it! Thanks for visiting. - ES Tiffany, I’m not sure. Distance is just one factor. There are many complicated variables at work.

For example, the length of the seasons is a bit different in each hemisphere. That’s because we’re at perihelion in northern hemisphere winter, and therefore moving fastest in orbit around that time. So are fewer days between the December solstice and the March equinox than between the June solstice and September equinox – in other words, winter is a few days shorter in the northern hemisphere.

But I think a more important variable might be the ratio of land to water in each hemisphere, which would have a big effect in moderating temperatures.

We’ll look into it! Thanks for visiting.

- ES

]]> By: tiffany http://earthsky.org/space/are-the-december-solstice-and-the-january-perihelion-related/comment-page-1#comment-364577 tiffany Sun, 02 Jan 2011 19:51:12 +0000 http://208.96.63.114/?p=2548#comment-364577 Does the perihelion effect the weather in the southern hemisphere since the earth is tilted closer to the sun at the December solstice? Does the perihelion effect the weather in the southern hemisphere since the earth is tilted closer to the sun at the December solstice?

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