Earth orbits the Sun with its axis held at a 23.4 degree tilt. Choose an equinox or solstice, or use the time-of-year slider. The information panel reports the northern and southern seasons and the subsolar latitude.
JavaScript is required to explore this page.
— The reason for seasons —
A tilted world
Northern half —
Southern half —
✦ The big idea
Seasons are not because Earth gets closer to the Sun. They happen because Earth is
tilted, so each half leans toward the Sun for part of the year and away for the rest.
Teaching model Accuracy & sources Earth’s 23.4° tilt and its fixed direction in space are represented. The orbit is drawn as a circle, sizes and distances are compressed, and the four season markers divide the year evenly. This shows astronomical seasons and immediate sunlight geometry, not local weather or delayed heating. Actual equinox and solstice times vary by year and time zone.
Sources
NASA Seasons
NASA Earth tilt
USNO Season times
Reviewed Aug 16, 2026
Time of year
Axis
Sunlight
Drag or Arrows to rotate · Scroll or + − to zoom