Winter Solstice the longest day of the year is 24 hours and 30 seconds long and occurs on December 22, 2018.
Winter solstice is the astronomical phase where on a particular date, the day is the shortest, making the night the longest night of the year. This phenomenon occurs when one of the Earth’s poles tilts away maximum from the Sun.
Winter solstice is the astronomical phase where on a particular date, the day is the shortest, making the night the longest night of the year. This phenomenon occurs when one of the Earth’s poles tilts away maximum from the Sun.
This year the Winter Solstice will happen in Northern Hemisphere on Saturday, 22 December 2018 at 3:53 am.
Winter solstice takes place twice in a year, once in each hemisphere. In the Northern Hemisphere happens the December solstice and in the Southern Hemisphere happens the June solstice.
The solstice this year is special because the much anticipated December moon, also called Cold Moon will be visible during the night along with the Ursid meteor shower.
When does the solstice occur?
The solstice occurs when the sun is directly over the Tropic of Capricorn. This makes each day 24 hours and 30 seconds long.
Meaning of winter solstice
The word solstice comes from Latin word, solstitium, which means ‘sun stands still’. This happens because the movement of the sun path stops briefly. The day and time of the solstice are different each year.
Winter solstice in India
In India, we don’t see a drastic difference in the lengths of the day and night. But some of the Nordic countries, the ones around the North Pole experience a noticeable difference in the length of day and night.
What is special about
?
1. December full moon
This time full moon will appear both on Friday and Saturday nights. December Moon is named so by the Native Americans. The Cold Moon marks the beginning of the coldest part of the year.
2. Ursid meteor shower
According to the American Meteor Society, the Ursids should be visible in the Mid-Northern Hemisphere.
3. Mercury/Jupiter conjunction
Before the sunrise on Friday, Mercury and Jupiter will appear as if they are about to collide in space (though they are millions of miles apart).
People come together at Stonehenge, a monument in Wiltshire, England to celebrate and the capture the moment. At this moment the sun is directly aligned with the famous stones, which makes it look like as if the Sun is balancing itself on the stones.
On similar lines, in India, Makar Sankranti is celebrated as one of the important festivals. The festival marks the beginning of the Sun’s journey towards the Northern Hemisphere. This brings longer days and the end of the winter.
