In the diagram the Sun is in the middle, with four drawings of the Earth during different equinoxes and solstices surrounding it.

• March equinox and September equinox- At the two equinoxes, in September and March, the sun lies directly above Earth's equator.
• June solstice- The Northern Hemisphere tilts toward the sun in June.
• December solstice- The Southern Hemisphere tilts toward the sun in December.