Earth & everyday life · News English
Why do the seasons change?
New NASA reporting uses older Earth photographs to explain a familiar change.
Read the story, then try the activities.
Four views of one planet
What makes summer and winter different?
1On 22 September, NASA shared a report about four pictures of Earth. A camera called EPIC took them from space. The pictures show our planet at different times of the year. They are older photographs, from December 2023 and March, June and September 2024.
2Earth does not stand straight as it travels around the Sun. It has a tilt: it leans to one side. This tilt changes how sunlight reaches different places during the year. It helps explain why we have seasons.
3In June, the northern half of Earth leans towards the Sun. Days are longer there, and the sunlight is more direct. In December, the southern half leans towards the Sun instead. So these two parts of the world have summer at different times.
4The photographs also show another difference: Earth sometimes looks a little smaller. This does not mean our planet changes size. The camera was farther away when it took those pictures. The report gives us a useful reminder: when we compare photographs, we need to think about where the camera was as well as what it shows.
An original teaching summary of the linked reporting. Language examples and model answers are illustrative, not news quotations.
Word help · Three useful words
Read the meanings and examples. Choose one word to use in your own sentence.
season
a part of the year, such as summer or winter
My favourite season is spring.
tilt
a position that leans to one side
The picture on the wall has a small tilt.
sunlight
light from the Sun
There is sunlight in our kitchen in the morning.
Check your reading · Three questions
Choose one answer for every question, then check. You can change an answer and check again.
Useful English: longer than
Use adjective + -er + than to compare: long → longer, short → shorter.
Language example: My morning walk is longer than my evening walk.
Do not add more before longer. For distance, you can use farther away.
Compare two journeys: My journey to ___ is longer than my journey to ___.
Model and follow-up
Model: My journey to work is longer than my journey to the shop.
Solo: say it again using shorter. Tutor: ask how long each journey takes.
Speak: the time of year you enjoy
Speak for 45 seconds. Name a time of year you enjoy, say why and make one comparison. You can describe rainy and dry periods if these are more familiar.
Start: I enjoy ___. It is ___ than ___. I like to ___.
Labelled model response
I enjoy the cooler months. They are cooler than the middle of the year. I like to walk outside with my family.
This is an example answer, not a news quotation. Change it to match your home.
Solo: add one activity. Tutor: ask what changes during the year where the learner lives.
Mastery check · Three questions
Choose one answer for every question, then check. You can change an answer and check again.
Sources and reporting date
NASA published the main report on 22 September 2026. Checked 23 September. Exact publication time is unavailable; a conservative date boundary was used for the seven-day science window. Archive photographs are labelled. Learning examples are separate from reporting.
- NASA Earth Observatory: An Epic View of the Seasons
Published 22 September 2026. Photo dates and camera-distance explanation. - NASA Space Place: What Causes the Seasons?
Background explanation of Earth’s tilt and opposite seasons, not the fresh-news source.