The Sun appears to trace out a circular path called the ecliptic on the celestial sphere tilted at 23 ½ degrees to the equator

• The Sun appears to trace out a circular path called the ecliptic on the celestial sphere tilted at 23 ½ degrees to the equator

• The ecliptic and the celestial equator intersect at only two points

• Each point is called an equinox

• The point on the ecliptic farthest north of the celestial equator that marks the location of the Sun at the beginning of summer in the northern hemisphere is called the summer solstice

• At the beginning of the northern hemisphere’s winter the Sun is farthest south of the celestial equator at a point called the winter solstice