WINTER SOLSTICE — A day many hear about, but may not completely understand. When is the winter solstice, anyway, and what exactly is it? Turns out there's more to it than just a short day and long night.
This year, 2021, the winter solstice is happening on Tuesday, December 21 at 9:59 CST in the Northern Hemisphere. Yep, it only lasts a brief moment, not a whole day as many believe!
The winter solstice is an astronomical event. During this time, the sun is at its lowest point in the sky in the Northern Hemisphere. This means the Northern Hemisphere is tilted farthest away from the sun, which is why it's the shortest day of the year. After the winter solstice, the Northern Hemisphere starts to tilt towards the sun again, which is why the days get longer throughout the winter season!
The winter solstice has a couple different names, depending on where you're from. Some alternative names for the shortest day of the year include Yule, Midwinter, The Longest Night, and Solstice Night.
In the video above, Meteorologist Brittney Merlot explains the seasons and also breaks down how quickly our daylight will begin to return!
