<blockquote>
  <p>Is it pointing south?</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Yes, the shadow points south when you are south of the tropics (south of the Tropic of Capricorn).</p>

<p>In the tropics (between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn), the direction of the Sun's shadow depends on the location and the date.</p>

<p>As the angle between the sun and the earth's axis changes during the year, the apparent path of the sun in the sky changes.</p>

<p>Outside the tropics, this change is insufficient to ever bring the sun directly overhead.  Regardless of the date, the sun will be seen to be toward the equator at local noon.  (Same as saying the shadow points away from the equator).</p>

<p>Within the tropics, the changing path sometimes brings the sun directly overhead.  The position at local noon depends on the specific location and the date.</p>

<p>On the December solstice, the sun will be overhead for locations on the Tropic of Capricorn and will cross to the south at local noon for all locations in the tropics (and those further north).  During the June solstice, the situation is reversed for the tropics.  All locations south of the Tropic of Cancer would see the sun pass to the north.  </p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-04-23T23:27:56.067Z
Oh, I see what you mean. I think your interpretation is correct. I rolled back the edit to the question to the original. I don't think it was a grammar error anymore, it's definitely "in the south of the tropics".
uhoh
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-04-24T11:57:27.660Z
+1. Of course there's one exception to your description for south of the Tropic of Capricorn: the South Pole. ;-)
Chappo Hasn't Forgotten
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-04-24T20:12:47.307Z
So the sun's path is always above the tropic of cancer?
Jim
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-04-24T20:31:42.093Z
@Jim: No, the sun's path is always between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn. That is, assuming the convention that north is up, the sun's path is always _below_ (or on) the Tropic of Cancer, and above (or on) the Tropic of Capricorn.
TonyK
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-04-27T10:45:01.207Z
@TonyK: It goes bellow that boundaries during a solar year right? So half of  the year is above the equator and bellow (or on) the tropic of cancer and half bellow the equator and above (or on) the tropic of capricorn?
Jim
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-04-27T11:08:26.233Z
@Jim: Your second sentence ("So half of the year...") is correct. Your first sentence ("It goes below...") is confusing me.
TonyK
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-04-27T11:13:10.037Z
@TonyK: The equator is in the middle of the two tropics in my understanding. So the second part of the year it passes equator to the south (bellow = south) and goes up to but not further bellow capricorn. Is that clear now? And is it correct?
Jim
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-04-27T11:24:27.773Z
_Down_ to but not further below...and I still don't know what you meant by "that boundaries".
TonyK
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-04-27T19:03:02.747Z
@TonyK: Down bellow the equator up to the level of capricorn. Boundaries I mean cancer and capricorn
Jim
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-04-23T21:59:38.390Z
2019-04-23T23:26:18.237Z
2019-04-23T23:26:18.237Z
BowlOfRed
<p>If I understand correctly, in countries to the north of the tropics the sun's noon shadow points north.  </p>

<p>What happens south of the tropics? Is it pointing south?  </p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-04-23T23:41:39.923Z
or perhaps "in the southern half of the tropics, below the equator"?
uhoh
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-04-24T12:26:37.040Z
@BowlOfRed: Yes south of the tropics. Your understanding of the question is correct
Jim
<the-sun><solar-system><earth>
South of the tropics, where does the sun's noon shadow point?
Jim
# South of the tropics, where does the sun's noon shadow point?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2019-04-23)

If I understand correctly, in countries to the north of the tropics the sun's noon shadow points north.

What happens south of the tropics? Is it pointing south?

**Tags:** the-sun, solar-system, earth

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: or perhaps "in the southern half of the tropics, below the equator"?  
> **username_0**: @username_2: Yes south of the tropics. Your understanding of the question is correct  

---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2019-04-23. Score: 5 | Accepted answer

> Is it pointing south?

Yes, the shadow points south when you are south of the tropics (south of the Tropic of Capricorn).

In the tropics (between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn), the direction of the Sun's shadow depends on the location and the date.

As the angle between the sun and the earth's axis changes during the year, the apparent path of the sun in the sky changes.

Outside the tropics, this change is insufficient to ever bring the sun directly overhead. Regardless of the date, the sun will be seen to be toward the equator at local noon. (Same as saying the shadow points away from the equator).

Within the tropics, the changing path sometimes brings the sun directly overhead. The position at local noon depends on the specific location and the date.

On the December solstice, the sun will be overhead for locations on the Tropic of Capricorn and will cross to the south at local noon for all locations in the tropics (and those further north). During the June solstice, the situation is reversed for the tropics. All locations south of the Tropic of Cancer would see the sun pass to the north.

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Oh, I see what you mean. I think your interpretation is correct. I rolled back the edit to the question to the original. I don't think it was a grammar error anymore, it's definitely "in the south of the tropics".  
> **username_3**: +1. Of course there's one exception to your description for south of the Tropic of Capricorn: the South Pole. ;-)  
> **username_0**: So the sun's path is always above the tropic of cancer?  
> **username_4**: @username_0: No, the sun's path is always between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn. That is, assuming the convention that north is up, the sun's path is always _below_ (or on) the Tropic of Cancer, and above (or on) the Tropic of Capricorn.  
> **username_0**: @username_4: It goes bellow that boundaries during a solar year right? So half of  the year is above the equator and bellow (or on) the tropic of cancer and half bellow the equator and above (or on) the tropic of capricorn?  
> **username_4**: @username_0: Your second sentence ("So half of the year...") is correct. Your first sentence ("It goes below...") is confusing me.  
> **username_0**: @username_4: The equator is in the middle of the two tropics in my understanding. So the second part of the year it passes equator to the south (bellow = south) and goes up to but not further bellow capricorn. Is that clear now? And is it correct?  
> **username_4**: _Down_ to but not further below...and I still don't know what you meant by "that boundaries".  
> **username_0**: @username_4: Down bellow the equator up to the level of capricorn. Boundaries I mean cancer and capricorn  

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