


Specifically, the “solar day” - measured on a sundial between noon on Dec. 21, at 10:59 EST.īut even though there’s less perceivable daylight in the Northern Hemisphere, the winter solstice actually marks the longest day of the year in terms of the Earth’s rotation on its axis, according to NASA. This year, the winter solstice falls on Dec. Typically, this event occurs in the northern hemisphere between Dec. At the precise moment of the winter solstice, the Earth’s Northern Hemisphere is tilted furthest away from the sun, resulting in the year’s shortest day, or, more accurately, the day with the shortest period of daylight. The winter solstice, also known as the December solstice, marks the beginning of what is referred to as astrological winter - i.e., winter based on the position of the Earth in relation to the sun, rather than temperature. It won't be until around 18 January that an extra hour of daylight will come, and every 28 days (four weeks) thereafter, an hour or so of sunshine should lighten the days.(NEXSTAR) – The winter solstice is finally upon us, but what exactly does that mean?

When will the days get longer? The days get longer by an average of 2 minutes and 7 seconds every day after 21 December. As the Earth moves around the sun during a year, the northern half of the Earth is tilted towards the sun in the summer, making daytime longer than night. This is because the Earth's imaginary axis isn't straight up and down, it is tilted 23.5 degrees. Happy solstice to all! What causes the Earth's days to be shorter or longer? It marks the Northern Hemisphere's shortest day (first day of winter) and Southern Hemisphere's longest day (first day of summer). Now, we have got the complete detailed explanation and answer for everyone, who is interested!īottom line: The 2020 December solstice takes place on Monday, December 21 at 10:02 UTC (4:02 a.m. This is a question our experts keep getting from time to time.
