In the Northern Hemisphere during summer, why does the sun rise northeast/set northwest yet is always “in the south” year-round?

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Both of these concepts make sense to me separately, but I can’t understand how they both make sense at the same time. If anyone has a good animation or diagram depicting these concepts I would really appreciate it! Thank you!

In: Earth Science

3 Answers

Anonymous 0 Comments

Because the earth is on an axis and that axis is tilted as it spins around the sun.

It’s actually pretty simple as long as you understand two basic concepts.

1- The earth goes around the sun (no secrets there, of course)

2- The earth is on an axis that is *tilted*.

To understand all of this, you don’t really even need to see any videos or diagrams. Just grab any ball and walk in a circle around a source of light. Look at the shadow. By the shadow, I mean look at the side of the object illuminated by the light and the side that’s left unlighted The bigger the object, the more obvious it will all be. Just remember that you need an object (preferably a ball) that has a line that divides it perfectly in half to function as the equator. Spin that ball as you walk around and (*key point here*) remember to make sure that the ball isn’t spinning straight up and down. It has to be on an angle.

Just do it and you’ll have no more confusion.

Anonymous 0 Comments

Does [this](https://imgur.com/a/EEMilUv) help at all?

Anonymous 0 Comments

Sun makes a full circle through the sky, it’s in the south at noon and in the north at midnight, just on some part it’s obscured by the earth and that is night. The tilt and position of the circle depends on where you are and the season so the place sun rises/sets looks to change.