If you want to know just when the shortest day is here, it’s every odd-numbered day from the 15th to the 29th of December, and that included the winter solstice. Think of the winter solstice as a chance to make a New Year’s resolution without the (arguably self-imposed) high stakes of an actual New Year’s resolution.
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According to EarthSky, the Northern Hemisphere has the shortest day of the year on winter solstice. The track of the sun and the resulting solstices were carefully followed. So today (21 December) the winter solstice is here, marking the day in 2016 with the fewest hours of sunlight.
The winter solstice is nearly here, which means the northern hemisphere can finally look forward to gradually lengthening days – that’s right, it may be dark now, but eventually, we’ll see the sun later than 5 p.m. again. This year it takes place on Wednesday, December 21 at 10:44 GMT (Universal time). When the sun sets on the shortest day of the year, the sun’s rays align with Stonehenge’s central Altar stone and Slaughter stone, which may have had spiritual significance to the people who built it, Live Science reported in 2013.
Because the Earth’s axis of rotation is tilted 23.5 degrees, each hemisphere receives different amounts of sunlight as our planet orbits the sun. Yet they were allowed to enter the area and partake in the celebration of the winter solstice time of year.
Rather, many experts believe the Christian church pegged that date to coincide with the winter solstice and the Roman holiday, Dies Natalis Solis Invictus, which means the Birthday of the Unconquerable Sun. There, the year’s earliest sunset happens a few days before, and the year’s latest sunrise occurs a few days after the Winter Solstice in June.
Despite it only lasting a moment, the full day is recognised. From September to March, the northern hemisphere gets less sunlight during the day, Vox reported.
The winter solstice occurs at the same time for all of us.
This cool website shows the streets in cities around the world where you can get a clear view of the sun rising on the morning of the solstice. When it is summer in NY, it is winter in Sydney.
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After the solstice, the days will start to get longers. By May, Anchorage will experience 24 hours of daylight, or continuous twilight.
