Question

why are days shorter in winter and longer in summer

Answer 1

days are longer in summer as the face of the earth pointing towards the sun has longer duration whereas in winter the time pointing to the sun is lower

Answer 2

This is a great question, Gage, and something our ancestors have marked in calendars and rituals for years.

It may seem strange that when it is hot and sunny here in the summer, the days are shorter and colder in the southern half of the Earth. Just like when the winter is cold and dark here, the southern half of the planet is warm and sunny. This is because although we may think the Earth is straight up and down, it is actually tilted at an angle. As the Earth circles the Sun during the year, half of the Earth get more or less sunlight than the other half of the Earth. In the summer months, the northern half of the Earth, where we live, tilts towards the Sun. This means we get more sunlight, making the days longer. During the fall, the northern half tilts a little bit away from the Sun and the southern half faces a little more towards the Sun. That is why the days start to get shorter for us, but longer for the other half of the Earth.