The direction of the sunrise is not always due east. The sun rises due east and sets due west only on two days of the year, the spring and fall equinoxes. On other days, the sun rises either north or south of due east and sets north or south of due west. The exact points where the sun rises and sets change slightly each day. During summer in the northern hemisphere, the sun rises north of east and sets north of west, while during winter, sunrise and sunset appear farther south along the horizon. Therefore, the direction of the sunrise depends on the time of year and the observers location. However, in general, the sun rises in the east and sets in the west due to the Earths rotation on its axis.