After the solstice, it begins moving north again. Since the Northern Hemisphere is tilted away from the Sun in December, it receives less sunlight during the course of a day. At the solstice, the North Pole's tilt away from the Sun is greatest, so this event marks the shortest day of the year north of the equator. This effect is greatest in locations that are farther away from the equator.
In tropical areas, the shortest day is just a little shorter than 12 hours; in the temperate zone, it is significantly shorter; and places within the Arctic Circle experience polar night , when the Sun does not rise at all.
Conversely, the day of the December solstice is the longest day of the year in the Southern Hemisphere. Here, too, the effect is greater the farther a location is away from the equator.
Sun times at the South Pole in December. During the course of a year, the subsolar point—the spot on the Earth's surface directly beneath the Sun—slowly moves along a north-south axis. Having reached its northernmost point at the June solstice , it starts moving southward until it crosses the equator on the day of the September equinox.
At the December solstice, which marks the southernmost point of its journey, it stops again to start its journey back toward the north. In the months leading up to the December solstice, the position of sunrise and sunset creeps southward. Great memories! We here in southwestern Florida love winter. We are glad to see Summer go and take the heat, humidity, storms and bugs with it. We generally are treated to the best weather in the Country during the six months including November through April.
Yes, Summers are pretty nasty here, but those 75 degree January days are worth the Summer suffering. I loooove Winter. Even all those Chicago winters I trudged through. Love the low winter sun.
It creates that moody glow. In Texas now, it never snows. Looking forward to retirement somewhere northerly so I can enjoy the seasons once again.
I'll take winter over summer any day in South Carolina!! In summer the humidity is jungle-like and then you have to deal with hornets,wasps,snakes,etc.. Your last line; " I couldn't ask for more, Thank You, and I wish you and all the same. Welcome back Sun What I was hoping for in this article is an answer as to what date is the Earth actually closest to the sun, and how does that effect the amount of daylight, and temperature?
Great question! Earth always reaches perihelion a couple weeks after the December solstice and similarly reaches aphelion after the June solstice. On January 2, , we will be at perihelion and approximately 91,, miles away from the Sun.
Read more about it here. This means that the small increase of solar energy that we receive when Earth is at perihelion is not significant enough to result in any noticeable change in our weather. Bring back the light!! I'm not enjoying the winter so far and it's only the beginning. Feeling alot of claustrophobia this year. The darkness, cold, and snow don't help. The Tradition of the solstices and Equinoxes being the start of the seasons is a very recent tradition.
In the Ancient Pagan religions, they are the midpoints of the seasons! The Winter Solstice is the celebration of the return or rebirth of the Sun God. This marks the days getting longer or the transition from the dark of winter to the light of spring.
I had always been a cold season person Alot can get done when it is light until 9! Winding down, resting just enoughto recharge for the next planting season. Dream and plan mext flowers and veggies, knit while drinking something warm in those very dark days. It's a fantastic renewal cycle. For me, it feels like winter when the first heavy frost kills my vegetable garden. Spring begins when I can plant outside again.
But winter is never dreary or dull here; we have snow that melts after a week or two, and beautiful, sometimes deadly, ice that turns the trees into glass ornaments, sparkling in the sun. I have to be very alert on the roads. During the winter, I lay my plans for next year's garden. It's a season of dreams and some danger, when I'm looking forward to the future yet needing to be vibrantly aware of the present.
Christmas, when we rejoice over the birth of the Savior and look forward to his second coming, is very well-suited to winter.
I escaped NY after living there for 28 years. Been in Texas and a Florida for 35 years. I love winters here. The fall stars a new beginning for me over spring. The winter means hiking and birdwatching. Nesting season for raptors then seabirds. The gators are quieter.
I feel free. I loved the NY winters when I was young and took advantage of hitting the slopes to ski and toboggan. I miss that too. I live in the Phoenix Arizona Metropolitan Area. The High Temperature in December and January is from the 60s to the 70s. This means that I am able to enjoy cool weather during the Winter Months. On the solstice, the sun does not rise precisely in the east, but rises to the north of east and sets to the north of west, meaning it's visible in the sky for a longer period of time.
Although the June solstice marks the first day of astronomical summer, it's more common to use meteorological definitions of seasons , making the solstice midsummer or midwinter. Over the centuries, the June solstice has inspired countless festivals, midsummer celebrations and religious holidays.
One of the world's oldest evidence of the summer solstice's importance in culture is Stonehenge in England, a megalithic structure which clearly marks the moment of the June solstice. In the Southern Hemisphere, where the June solstice is known as the shortest day of the year, it marks the first day of astronomical winter, but the middle of winter in meteorological terms.
On the June solstice, the midnight sun is visible weather permitting throughout the night, in all areas from just south of the Arctic Circle to the North Pole. On the other side of the planet, south of the Antarctic Circle there's Polar Night, meaning no Sunlight at all, on the June solstice.
Even though most people consider June 21 as the date of the June solstice, it can happen anytime between June 20 and June 22, depending on which time zone you're in.
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