Winter Solstice Facts
Winter Solstice Facts
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| Interesting Winter Solstice Facts: |
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| The word solstice is derived from Latin, meaning 'sun stands still' and was chosen because during a solstice the sun appears to remain still in its position in the sky. |
| When winter solstice occurs in the southern hemisphere it experiences its longest night and shortest day of the year. The opposite is true when the summer solstice occurs, and the southern hemisphere experiences its longest day and night. |
| When winter solstice occurs in the northern hemisphere it experiences its shortest day and longest night of the year. The opposite is true when the summer solstice occurs, and the northern hemisphere experiences its longest day and shortest night. |
| For days before and after the winter solstice occurs, the sun appears to stand still in the sky at its noon-time elevation. |
| Some confuse the solstice with the equinox. Both occur twice a year, but the equinox occurs when the sun is directly above the equator, day and night are equal in length, and the equinox marks the beginnings of fall and spring, depending on the hemisphere. |
| Stonehenge, in Wiltshire, England is a popular spot during winter and summer solstice in the northern hemisphere. Newgrange in Ireland is another monument dating back thousands of years that appears to have been built in alignment with the solstice. |
| The winter solstice is also referred to as Midwinter, the Longest Night, and Yule. |
| Solstices have been used throughout history to time many important events each year, including the sowing of seeds for crops, mating of animals, harvesting of crops, and monitoring the reserves of winter food. |
| The actual moment that the solstice occurs cannot be observed by amateurs because the sun moves so slowly that astronomical data tracking must be used to pinpoint the actual moment of the solstice. |
| During the winter solstice the sun appears to be at its lowest point in the sky. |
| Following the winter solstice the days begin to become longer while the nights begin to shorten. |
| Following the winter solstice the temperatures become colder. In the northern hemisphere the coldest months are December, January and February, while in the summer hemisphere the coldest months are June, July, and August. |
| During the solstice, whether it is summer or winter solstice, the sun isn't moving - it's actually the earth tilting to and away from the sun. |
| Although winter solstice marks the beginning of the astrological winter, the coldest winter days are yet to come, often not for a month or even two in some years. |
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