The Sun’s apparent annual motion. The ecliptic
The Sun shifts eastward against the stars by about 1° a day (360° : 365.26) and goes right round a great circle in a year; this circle is the ecliptic. In fact this is the appearance of the Earth’s orbit around the Sun, and the plane of the ecliptic coincides with the plane of the Earth’s orbit. The ecliptic is inclined to the celestial equator at ε ≈ 23°26′, and they cross at two points: the Sun passes the vernal equinox on 20–21 March and the autumnal equinox on 22–23 September. Around 21 June the Sun is at the summer solstice point (declination +23°26′), and around 21–22 December at the winter point (–23°26′). The 12 constellations along the ecliptic (Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces) form the zodiac; “predicting the future” from them (astrology) is not a science.
NEVER look directly at the Sun. Instead stand a stick upright on level ground at noon and measure the length of its shadow every few weeks (with an adult): how does it change through the seasons?