At the summer solstice, the sun is directly overhead which line of latitude?

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At the summer solstice, the Sun is directly overhead the Tropic of Cancer.

More precisely, this occurs at the June solstice, when the Northern Hemisphere is tilted most strongly toward the Sun. The Sun’s direct rays then reach their northernmost point on Earth, at roughly 23.4 degrees north latitude. This latitude is called the Tropic of Cancer.

The solstice is the Northern Hemisphere’s summer solstice but the Southern Hemisphere’s winter solstice. It occurs between June 20 and June 22 in the Gregorian calendar, depending on the year and time zone. “Directly overhead” means the Sun can appear at the zenith at local solar noon for locations on the tropic.

A frequent mix-up is choosing the Arctic Circle. The Arctic Circle is associated with continuous daylight and the midnight sun, not the Sun’s overhead position. The Tropic of Capricorn is the corresponding southern latitude at the December solstice, while the Equator receives overhead sunlight near the equinoxes.

Source: Wikipedia · fact-checked Sept. 2026

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