Tropic of Cancer
Also: 23.5° N, 23°30' N latitude, Tropic of Cancer India states
Background and evolution
Earth's axis is tilted at about 23.4 degrees relative to its orbital plane. As Earth orbits the Sun, this tilt makes the Sun's overhead position move north and south through the year. The Tropic of Cancer marks the northern limit of this movement, reached at the June solstice, and the Tropic of Capricorn marks the southern limit, reached at the December solstice. The region between them is called the tropics. The line takes its name from the constellation Cancer, in which the Sun appeared at the June solstice in ancient times, though because of precession it now appears in Taurus at that date.
In India, the Tropic of Cancer runs from the Rann of Kutch in Gujarat across Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and West Bengal, and then through Tripura and Mizoram in the Northeast, passing through Bangladesh in between. Cities near it include Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar, Ujjain, Bhopal, Ranchi and Agartala, and the Krishnanagar area of West Bengal. Ujjain has long held importance in Indian astronomy partly because of its closeness to the line; ancient Indian astronomers used it as a prime meridian.
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Last reviewed: 23 October 2026 · Original UPSCPrep.in content.