Earth's seasons. Computer artwork of the Earth's orbit around the Sun, showing how the planet's tilted axis gives rise to the seasons. Here, each globe represents a different month, progressing anti-clockwise from December (far right) to June (far left). Each hemisphere experiences winter when it is pointed away from the Sun, and summer when it is pointed towards the Sun. From top, the seasons progress anti-clockwise (for the northern hemisphere) through spring, summer, autumn and winter.