The seasons, live
Earth's axis leans 23.4 degrees, so the overhead sun swings between the tropics through the year: north in June, south in December. Wherever it stands, that hemisphere gets long days and high sun; the other gets winter. See it painted on the globe's Seasons view: every climate zone colored by the season it is living through right now, from snowy winters to tropical wet and dry seasons.
The seasons right now
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Interactive orbit model
Tilt Earth through one year
The orbit is shown in perspective and sizes are enlarged for clarity. The 23.44 degree axis vector drives the orbit lighting and overhead-Sun latitude together. The four controls use the astronomical event instants for 2025. Earth keeps pointing the same way as it travels, which is why tilt causes the seasons. Daily rotation is intentionally omitted so this model isolates the annual orbit and axial tilt.
Equinox and solstice times, 2026 and 2027
| Event | 2026 | 2027 | North | South |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | Mar 20, 14:40 UTC | Mar 20, 20:29 UTC | spring begins | autumn begins |
| June solstice | Jun 21, 08:26 UTC | Jun 21, 14:14 UTC | summer begins | winter begins |
| September equinox | Sep 23, 00:18 UTC | Sep 23, 06:07 UTC | autumn begins | spring begins |
| December solstice | Dec 21, 20:56 UTC | Dec 22, 02:45 UTC | winter begins | summer begins |
Instants computed from the same solar model as the globe, accurate to about ten minutes. Each event page has a live countdown in your own time zone.
Day length by latitude at the solstices
| Latitude | June solstice | December solstice |
|---|---|---|
| Arctic Circle (66.5 N) | 24 h (midnight sun) | 2 h 15 m |
| 60 degrees north | 18 h 52 m | 5 h 52 m |
| 40 degrees north | 15 h 01 m | 9 h 20 m |
| 20 degrees north | 13 h 20 m | 10 h 55 m |
| Equator | 12 h 07 m | 12 h 07 m |
| 20 degrees south | 10 h 55 m | 13 h 20 m |
| 40 degrees south | 9 h 20 m | 15 h 01 m |
| 60 degrees south | 5 h 52 m | 18 h 52 m |
The equator barely notices the seasons; the poles live by them. Look up your own city on its sunrise and sunset page to see the same swing at your latitude.
Why seasons happen (it is not the distance)
Earth is actually closest to the Sun in early January, in the middle of northern winter. Seasons come from the axial tilt: when your hemisphere leans toward the Sun, days run long and sunlight strikes more directly, delivering more energy per square meter. Rainy and dry seasons in the tropics follow the same overhead sun, as the band of tropical rain migrates north and south with it through the year.