So for arguments sake, if the Northern Hemisphere (lots of land) was inclined towards the sun when the earth is closest to the sun, would temperatures become unlivable during that time?
Great Q, but let's make sure we are on the same page.
The earth's orbit around the sun is almost circular. It's not, but it's close. What the orbit DOESNT Do is swoop real close to the sun during one part of the year and then go way far away from the sun. Our horrific science textbooks would have you believe we get real close and and then real far from the sun.
We DO get closer to the sun, but the amount is almost nothing compared to the real reason we have weather systems on the planet like we do: the fact that the earths axis, the imaginary line it rotates around is tilted.
For half of the year the northern hemisphere is tilted towards the sun; for half the southern.
Here's how you notice the tilt in REAL World situation:
Go outside at Noon; or between 11am-1pm, whatever. Point to the sun. How high up is it in the sky at noon?
Well, in the dead of winter, at noon, youd be pointing about 45 degree, only halfway between the ground and 'straight up'. That's only as high as it gets around dec 21, hence the days are shortest.
In the Heart of the Summer, when you point to the sun at Noon; it's right overhead! No wonder we're frying in the summer. It's because the rays are more direct! NOT anything to do with the distance to the sun.
More to come unless I'm being a windbag...
[EDIT: To answer your Q above, for thousand of Europeans this summer; the conditions were that bad, they died.]
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This message was edited by Mike Teacher on 9-18-03 @ 2:39 PM