2 facts
Explore the Tropic of Capricorn, the southernmost point where the sun can be directly overhead. Discover its global impact on climate, geography, and cultures across three continents.
For early navigators in the Southern Hemisphere, the Tropic of Capricorn represented the furthest south the sun would appear directly overhead, a crucial point for understanding seasonal changes and celestial navigation. This helped define temperate zones for ancient explorers.
This geographical line received its name because, during ancient times, the sun reached its southernmost point (the winter solstice) when it was located in the constellation Capricornus. The Earth's axial tilt has shifted since then, so the sun is now in Sagittarius at that time.
