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Next > Solstice Trivia Since you're along for the ride anyway,
here are a few tidbits about your vehicle on these first days of summer. Earth's
axis is currently tilted at an angle of 23.44° relative to its orbital plane, and
represents the maximum northward or southward track where the sun can be directly
overhead (zenith) at noon. The Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn are located
at 23.44° of latitude accordingly. The northern summer solstice (from Latin terms
meaning "the sun standing still") occurs when the sun reaches the Tropic of Cancer,
and the winter solstice occurs at the Tropic of Capricorn. Due to minor gravitational
tugs by neighboring planets, the tilt angle varies between 22.0° and 24.5°, and
is currently decreasing by 0.47 second of arc per year. The entire precession period
occurs in about 25,700 years. |
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