How would the earth be different if its axis were not tilted and what would happen if the Earth was 1 inch closer to the sun?
If Earth's axis were not tilted, the seasons would not exist.
Earth's axis is tilted at an angle of about 23.5 degrees relative to its orbit around the Sun. This tilt causes the different parts of Earth to receive varying amounts of sunlight throughout the year, resulting in the seasons. If Earth's axis were not tilted, the amount of sunlight received by each part of Earth would be relatively constant throughout the year, and there would be no significant seasons.
If Earth were 1 inch closer to the Sun, the average global temperature would increase slightly.
The distance between Earth and the Sun varies throughout the year due to Earth's elliptical orbit. At its closest point, called perihelion, Earth is about 3 million miles closer to the Sun than at its farthest point, called aphelion. This difference in distance has a small but measurable effect on Earth's climate. If Earth were 1 inch closer to the Sun at all times, the average global temperature would increase by about 0.1 degrees Celsius (0.18 degrees Fahrenheit). This may seem like a small change, but it could have a significant impact on Earth's climate patterns.
The tilt of Earth's axis is the main cause of the seasons. If Earth had no tilt, then the length of daylight and the intensity of solar heating seen by a person standing at a single place on the surface would be the same all year round. If the Earth were 1 inch closer to the Sun, the effects would likely be negligible. Changes in the Earth's distance from the Sun have a much greater effect on its climate and habitability when they occur over much longer timescales, such as over millions of years. Even a small move closer to the sun could have a huge impact. That's because warming would cause glaciers to melt, raising sea levels and flooding most of the planet. Without land to absorb some of the sun's heat, temperatures on Earth would continue to rise. If the plane of the earth's equator were not inclined to the plane of the earth's orbit there would be no change of seasons. When tilted, the hemisphere closer to the sun would experience summer, while the hemisphere that is relatively farther away would experience winter. The tilt of Earth's axis is the main cause of the seasons. If Earth had no tilt, then the length of daylight and the intensity of solar heating seen by a person standing at a single place on the surface would be the same all year round. Because this tilt changes, the seasons as we know them can become exaggerated. More tilt means more severe seasons warmer summers and colder winters; less tilt means less severe seasons cooler summers and milder winters. The earth would not have rotated around itself. The earth would have revolved around the sun with greater velocity. Different parallels on the earth would have experienced the same climate throughout the year.
Considering the earth's distance from the sun fluctuates by more than 5,000,000 km during any given year, I can confidently say that there would be absolutely no perceptible change in the earth's climate. Previous asnwers given to this question include responses such as .1 °C. That would mean that the temperature of the earth would fluctuate by more than 500,000 °C in any given year. And I think we can all confidently agree that this isn't the case. You can find the formula to figure this out yourself at https://web.archive.org/web/20210605120431/https://scied.ucar.edu/earth-system/planetary-energy-balance-temperature-calculate.
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