Season's Greetings: NASA Views the Change of Seasons
Welcome the winter solstice today, Dec. 21 (summer solstice for our friends south of the equator) with a slideshow of NASA satellite images marking the change of seasons.
The change of seasons on Earth has been a cause for celebration since time immemorial. Caused by the tilt of Earth's axis relative to its orbital plane around the sun, seasons have profound changes on our weather and climate. When seasons change, nature reacts differently, depending on location. Temperatures change, rain or snow falls, rivers may flood, to name just a few effects.From space, NASA satellites record the change of seasons. Satellite images show large parts of the landscape at one time. They help scientists study regional patterns on Earth. These images also help show bigger changes that may occur over many years.A new slide show, "The Change of Seasons: Views from Space," shows some of the ways seasonal change affects our planet, and invites you to share your own photos of seasonal change where you live:http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/education/seasons.cfm.