WINTER SOLSTICE

Dec. 23, 2019

December 22 was Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. In the Southern Hemisphere, conversely, December 22 was Summer Solstice, the year’s longest day.

About:

  • The Earth’s axis of rotation is tilted at an angle of 23.5 degrees away from the perpendicular.

  • This tilt — combined with factors such as Earth’s spin and orbit — leads to variations in the duration of Sunlight that any location on the planet receives on different days of the year.

  • The Earth’s North Pole points towards the North Star over an extended period, as the Earth moves around the Sun through the course of a year.

  • The Northern Hemisphere spends half the year tilted in the direction of the Sun, getting direct sunlight during long summer days. During the other half of the year, it tilts away from the Sun, and the days are shorter.

  • Winter Solstice, December 21, is the day when the North Pole is most tilted away from the Sun.