Many people believe seasons happen because Earth swings closer to the Sun in summer and farther away in winter. In fact the cause is Earth's axial tilt of about 23.4 degrees. Because the axis is tilted, each hemisphere leans toward the Sun for part of the year, which brings longer days and sunlight that hits the ground more directly. When the Northern Hemisphere leans toward the Sun it has summer, and when it leans away it has winter. Earth actually reaches the point of its orbit closest to the Sun in early January and the farthest point in July, so the small effect of orbital distance works against the Northern Hemisphere's seasons rather than causing them.

Hampi is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Karnataka, India, with more than 1,600 surviving remains spread over 4,100 hectares. It was the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire from 1336 to 1565. Travellers from Persia and Portugal described it as a prosperous, wealthy and grand city with temples, markets and farms along the Tungabhadra River. By 1500 it was estimated to be the world's second-largest city after Beijing, and probably India's richest at the time. In 1565 a coalition of Muslim sultanates defeated the Vijayanagara Empire, its capital was conquered and destroyed, and the city was left in ruins. Hampi remains a religious centre, with the active Virupaksha Temple at its heart.