Science & history · How the Sun moves across your sky
The Sun rises due east only near the equinoxes
Watch sunrise from the same spot for a few months and it walks along the horizon.
Where the Sun rises where you are
Worked out in your browser for your place. Choose a place on the Sun's Today page.
Why it moves
Because Earth's axis is tilted, the Sun spends half the year north of the celestial equator and half south of it (NASA). North of the equator its rising point swings north; south of it, south. Near the equinoxes it rises close to due east everywhere except near the poles.
How far it swings depends on latitude: the farther from the equator, the wider the arc. Ancient builders tracked that arc along the horizon, as at Chankillo in Peru.
Sources
- NASA Space Place What Causes the Seasons? (opens in a new tab) for tilt, not distance; perihelion in January · checked 2 October 2026
- UNESCO World Heritage Centre Chankillo Archaeoastronomical Complex (opens in a new tab) for 250–200 BC; thirteen towers span the year's sunrise and sunset arcs from two observing points; 1–2 day precision; inscribed 2021 · checked 2 October 2026