It is commonly believed that the Earth’s distance from the Sun determines the seasons. The Earth’s orbit is lopsided and we are closer to the sun at different times in the year. In the northern hemisphere, we are closest to the sun when we have winter debunking the misconception that the distance to the sun affects the seasons.
The change in seasons is caused by the Earth’s tilt. The Earth’s tilt is with respect to the orbital plane of the Earth. When the Earth has one hemisphere tilted toward the sun, that hemisphere has summer. The opposite hemisphere it is winter. When the hemispheres are both 90 degrees away, we have an equinox. The entire world has 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of night.
Charles Blogs About Astronomy 
