The Sun’s axial tilt is about 7.25° relative to the ecliptic. This means the Sun’s rotation axis is tipped slightly compared with a line perpendicular to the plane in which Earth and most planets orbit.
The ecliptic is defined by Earth’s orbital plane, projected across the sky. Because the Sun rotates on its axis while Earth revolves around it, the Sun’s tilted rotation creates a changing view of its hemispheres over the year. Astronomers account for this orientation when studying sunspots, magnetic fields, and the motion of features across the solar disk.
This figure is often confused with Earth’s axial tilt of about 23.44°. Earth’s tilt produces the seasons, while the Sun’s much smaller tilt is an orientation of the solar rotation axis. The Sun also does not rotate as a solid body: its equatorial regions rotate faster than areas near the poles, a phenomenon called differential rotation.
The Sun’s rotation period is roughly 25 days at the equator and about 35 days near the poles. That rotation and the Sun’s magnetic activity help drive the solar cycle, including sunspots, flares, and coronal mass ejections.