The Earth's axial tilt of approximately 23.5° ensures that observers at different locations will see the Sun reach higher-or-lower positions above the horizon throughout the year. north of 23.5° N latitude, the December solstice marks the Sun's shortest, lowest path through the sky, with the June solstice marking the longest, highest path. But the Sun doesn't appear to simply rise and fall in the sky in a symmetric shape. During an average day, when the Earth moves at its average speed around the Sun, 24 hours is just right. If we lived on an untilted planet that had an elliptical orbit, the Sun’s path through the sky would simply be an ellipse: where the eccentricity would be the only contributor to how the Sun moves.

Source: Forbes January 01, 2019 15:00 UTC