Winter solstice in 2022

 

When is the winter solstice in 2022?

The winter solstice is on Wednesday 21 December 2022. It marks the first day of astronomical winter, and the precise time of the solstice will be at 9:47pm GMT. This differs from meteorological winter, which always begins on 1 December, every year.

 

There are two solstices every year, one in December and one in June.

 

What is the winter solstice?

The winter solstice is when the Sun reaches its lowest point in the sky, and here in the northern hemisphere, that results in the shortest day of the year. It’s not something that you can see, like a meteor shower or planet in opposition, but rather an event that occurs.

 

During the winter solstice, the northern hemisphere is tilted furthest away from the Sun, causing it to reach its lowest point visually in the sky. For us here on Earth, this means it takes the least amount of time to cross the sky, and so we get the shortest day (and longest night) of the year. After the winter solstice, the days begin to get longer and the nights shorter.

 

What does the word ‘solstice’ mean?

The word ‘solstice’ is the scientific term for this astronomical event that happens twice a year. The word solstice is derived from the Latin sol (sun) and sistere (to stand still). Both at the December solstice and the June solstice, the Sun reverses its apparent annual north-south motion and appears to stand still.

 

How the December solstice affects the poles

The Arctic and Antarctic circles are located at 66.5 degrees north and 66.5 degrees south, respectively. The latitude of the Arctic circle is essentially the line, above which the Sun never rises on the December solstice, resulting in 24 hours of darkness.

As you move closer towards the north pole, you’re moving closer towards the point on the Earth that is tilted furthest away from the Sun. The winter solstice is the darkest time of the year for the north pole, and during these winter months, the Sun doesn’t rise from mid-November to late January, buffered by a period of twilight on either side.

    

Sources/Links:

https://www.sciencefocus.com/planet-earth/winter-solstice-shortest-day-year/

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