The Sun traces a figure-8 in the sky every single year, and the orbital mechanics behind it are some of the cleanest physics you'll ever see.This pattern is called an analemma. Two forces produce it, and separating them is the whole game.Earth's 23.4° axial tilt creates the vertical dimension. As the planet orbits while tilted, the Sun appears to migrate between 23.4° north and 23.4° south of the celestial equator across the year. That gives the figure-8 its full vertical span of roughly 47°.The