When it is summer in Missouri, what season is it in South America?

When it is summer in Missouri, what season is it in South America?

• A. Winter
• B. Spring
• C. Summer
• D. Autumn

Answer: (A)

Seasons in the two hemispheres are opposite because the Earth is tilted on its axis and orbits the Sun, so different halves of the world receive varying amounts of sunlight at different times of the year. When Missouri, in the Northern Hemisphere, experiences summer, that same period corresponds to winter in the Southern Hemisphere, where most of South America lies. So during the Northern Hemisphere’s summer months (roughly June through August), South America is in winter. (Note: near the equator, some places don’t have four distinct seasons, but the general pattern still holds for most of South America.)

Seasons in the two hemispheres are opposite because the Earth is tilted on its axis and orbits the Sun, so different halves of the world receive varying amounts of sunlight at different times of the year. When Missouri, in the Northern Hemisphere, experiences summer, that same period corresponds to winter in the Southern Hemisphere, where most of South America lies. So during the Northern Hemisphere’s summer months (roughly June through August), South America is in winter. (Note: near the equator, some places don’t have four distinct seasons, but the general pattern still holds for most of South America.)