How sunlight changes between seasons
Compare the daily sun path through the year in both hemispheres.
The Earth’s axis is tilted relative to its orbit. This changes the sun’s daily altitude and the length of daylight through the year. At temperate latitudes, a summer day often has a higher sun and a longer daylight period than a winter day.
Opposite seasons
June is summer in the Northern Hemisphere and winter in the Southern Hemisphere. December reverses those seasons. SunSide labels its seasonal comparison using your selected latitude. Equatorial places may be better understood by wet and dry seasons rather than four temperate seasons; the comparison still shows the actual geometry for each representative date.
A high sun can be blocked, too
Long daylight does not guarantee a sunny balcony floor. An overhang may block high summer sunlight while admitting lower winter rays. The current planner does not calculate this effect because it does not know the roof height, projection or balcony dimensions.
Compare more than one date
The seasonal buttons use representative dates near the equinoxes and solstices. These are approximate dates, not exact event instants. Change the date manually to see the gradual change between them. At high latitudes, the sun may remain above or below the horizon all day.