This interactive map shows the Tropic of Cancer, Tropic of Capricorn, and the subsolar point (the location where the sun is directly overhead at noon) for any day of the year.
Legend:
-
Tropic of Cancer
-
Tropic of Capricorn
-
Subsolar Point
Tropic of Cancer (23.43663°N) is the northernmost latitude where the sun can be directly overhead, which occurs at the June solstice (around June 21st). See the Wikipedia page for a list of notable locations the Tropic of Cancer passes through.
Tropic of Capricorn (23.43663°S) is the southernmost latitude where the sun can be directly overhead, which occurs at the December solstice (around December 21st). See the Wikipedia page for a list of notable locations the Tropic of Capricorn passes through.
Subsolar Point is the latitude where the sun is directly overhead at noon on a given day. It moves between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn throughout the year.
Use the slider below to change the date and see how the subsolar point moves throughout the year.
Why does the sun's position change throughout the year?
The tilt of Earth's axis (about 23.4 degrees) causes the sun to be directly overhead at different latitudes during the year. This results in the changing position of the subsolar point, which moves between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn as Earth orbits the sun.
Click to view the full image. Source: Wikimedia Commons
During the solstices, the sun is at its northernmost or southernmost point in the sky at noon, depending on the hemisphere. This is why the Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn are located at approximately 23.4 degrees north and south, respectively.
Explore this interactive animation to understand the concept better.
Copyright © 2025 Vishnu Haridas
GitHub