human
Can you tell me what causes the seasons?
assistant
The Earth’s axis is tilted 23.5 degrees from the vertical, and this tilt causes our seasons. As the Earth orbits the sun, it experiences different amounts of sunlight as it passes through its yearly elliptical orbit. This variation in sunlight results in changes in the amount of energy received by the Earth's surface. These variations are greatest at the equator and decrease with distance away from the equator.