Different places on Earth receive different amounts of direct sunlight at the same time
Geography · High School · Thu Feb 04 2021
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The variation in the amount of direct sunlight received at different places on Earth at the same time is due to the spherical shape of the Earth and its tilt. Because Earth is a sphere, sunlight does not fall evenly on its surface. Areas that are closer to the equator get more direct sunlight than areas farther north or south. The tilt and the spherical shape result in different angles of sunlight hitting different parts of the Earth. At the equator, the sun is nearly overhead at noon and the sunlight is very direct. As you move towards the poles, the angle of the sunlight becomes more oblique, spreading the same amount of solar energy over a larger area, hence the intensity of sunlight decreases.