winter Solstice

Today, December 21,2023 is officially the first day of winter. Today is winter solstice – the shortest day of the year. Let’s have a quick look on the facts governing winter solstice and what it really means to us.What is winter solstice?

The day with the longest night, shortest day in the Northern hemisphere marks the beginning of winter season for half of the planet. This is accompanied by cold weather in all parts of the northern hemisphere. According to NASA, solstice occur twice a year when, “the sun’s path appears for this North or South, depending on which half of the planet you are on”.

Winter solstice happens when Northern hemisphere is tilted furthest away from the sun which occurred today at 10:27 p.m. E.T. The same event was experienced in the southern hemisphere which also received most amount of direct sunlight, but only a reciprocal of season is observed- summer solstice.

What’s the significance of winter Solstice?

Winter solstice is marked by the lowest presence of Sun over the sky. We can observe solstice ourselves by looking at the shadows on winter solstice ,it is the longest we ever see in a year. This is opposite to summer solstice when we almost see no shadows. If we consider the sun’s daily route: it archs across the sky above rising in the east and setting in the West. The sun archs higher in the summer and closer (nearer)to the horizon in the winter.

Solstice comes from the Latin origin meaning “to stand still”. To put it loosely it means the Sun stands still for a few days leading to the solstice, almost seem to freeze in the sky. The change in its noon time is so slight that it appears to stay in the sky.

The sons path reroutes itself northward following the winter solstice reaching its northernmost point on the day of summer solstice. In this way it becomes and never ending cycle.

Most frequently asked questions about Winter Solstice : The first day of winter in Northern Hemisphere

Is winter solstice the shortest and coldest day of the year?

Actually, it is not. Even though people might think that because the day in which we experience the lowest sunlight should be the coldest day of the year. But there are various other factors which also governs the weather which become very much more dominant than sunlight.

Even though in the United States, the coldest days of The year come between mid December and late January, but Winter solstice is never the coldest day of the year.

Is winter solstice the beginning of cold season?

A simple answer to this question depends mainly on how people considered the definition of winter. Few people follow astronomical winter while others follow meteorological winter.

Conclusion: Why and how is winter solstice or winter important to us?

Winter along with it brings a lot of joy, thrill and happiness for people in their lives and Winter solstice marks the beginning of it. Snowfall, chilling climate, frigid temperature outsides add more thrill in our monotonous life. Florida fill up with people specially in the heartless of an Northern winter. In all winter is a season which everyone cherish and look forward to .