Tropic of Cancer

Tropic of CancerThe Tropic of Cancer, which occurs at the latitude approximately 23Β°27β€² N of the terrestrial Equator, corresponds to the northernmost declination of the Sun's ecliptic to the celestial equator.
Diagram showing Earth's orbit around the Sun with positions for the June solstice, when the Sun is overhead at the Tropic of Cancer, and the December solstice, when the Sun is overhead at the Tropic of Capricorn. The illustration labels the North Pole, South Pole, Equator, and Earth's orbital path, highlighting how the solstices relate to Earth's tilt and seasonal changes.
Earth's orbit around the SunEarth's orbit around the Sun. At the June and December solstices, the Sun is overhead at the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, respectively.

Tropic of Cancer, latitude approximately 23Β°27β€² N of the terrestrial Equator. This latitude corresponds to the northernmost declination of the Sun’s ecliptic to the celestial equator. At the summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere, around June 21, the Sun attains its greatest declination north and is directly over the Tropic of Cancer. At that time the Sun appears in the constellation Gemini, but, much earlier in history, it lay in the constellation Cancer, thereby resulting in the designation Tropic of Cancer. Because of the gradual change in the direction of Earth’s axis of rotation, the Sun will reappear in the constellation Cancer in approximately 24,000 years. (See Tropic of Capricorn.)

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica This article was most recently revised and updated by John P. Rafferty.
Citation Information
Article Title: Tropic of Cancer
Website Name: Encyclopaedia Britannica
Publisher: Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.
Date Published: 12 September 2026
Access Date: November 14, 2026