<P> Coordinates: 23 ° 26 ′ 14" N 0 ° 0 ′ 0" W ﻿ / ﻿ 23.43722 ° N - 0.00000 ° E ﻿ / 23.43722; - 0.00000 ﻿ (Prime Meridian) </P> <P> The Tropic of Cancer, also referred to as the Northern Tropic, is currently 23 ° 26 ′ 13.1" (or 23.43696 °) north of the Equator . It is the most northerly circle of latitude on Earth at which the Sun can be directly overhead . This occurs on the June solstice, when the Northern Hemisphere is tilted toward the Sun to its maximum extent . </P> <P> Its Southern Hemisphere counterpart, marking the most southerly position at which the Sun can be directly overhead, is the Tropic of Capricorn . These tropics are two of the five major circles of latitude that mark maps of Earth; which also includes the Arctic and Antarctic Circles and the Equator . The positions of these two circles of latitude (relative to the Equator) are dictated by the tilt of Earth's axis of rotation relative to the plane of its orbit . </P>

Tropic of cancer and tropic of capricorn are lines of