THE SHORTEST DAY OF THE YEAR

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The official start of winter and the shortest day of the year, the winter solstice,  falls on December 21 in 2022. For thousands of years, humans have been interested by how this all operates. 

We’ll start by examining the science and exact timing of the solstice. Next, we’ll look at some historic customs and holidays from around the world. 

The sun appears at its most southern point, directly overhead at the Tropic of  Capricorn, on the winter solstice, which is also the shortest day of the year in the  Northern Hemisphere. 

Where only approximately 10% of the world’s population resides, the situation is the opposite in the Southern Hemisphere. The December solstice is the longest day of the year and the start of summer in countries like Argentina, Madagascar,  New Zealand, and South Africa. 

What time exactly does it happen? 

Although it isn’t always the case, December 21 marks the solstice. Due to the solar year’s irregular alignment with our calendar year, the date of the solstice might vary. The solar year is the amount of time it takes for the sun to return to the same place as seen from Earth. 

According to EarthSky.org and Farmers’ Almanac, if you want to be super accurate in your observations, the winter solstice will occur on Wednesday at  21:48 Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). That is almost six hours later than the same time last year. 

Which areas are most affected by the winter solstice? 

On December 21, the amount of daylight drops off significantly as you get closer to the North Pole. 

With only nine minutes less of daylight than they do on the summer solstice,  people in warm Singapore, which is only 137 kilometers (85 miles) north of the equator, hardly feel a difference. There, a 12-hour day lasts pretty nearly the entire year, give or take a few minutes. Despite being far higher in latitude, Paris 

nevertheless records an admirable eight hours and fourteen minutes of daylight for a brisk stroll down the Seine. 

The contrast is more pronounced in Oslo, Norway, where the sun will rise at 9:18  in the morning and set at 3:12 in the afternoon, giving birth to just under six hours of paltry daylight. a sunlamp, please? 

With only three hours, 54 minutes, and 31 seconds of extremely little daylight,  Nome, Alaskan residents will already be severely lacking in sunlight. But in comparison to Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, that’s downright indulgent. It won’t receive a  single ray of sunshine because it is located inside the Arctic Circle. 

The winter solstice is a phenomenon, but why does it occur? 

We see seasonal change because Earth is inclined on its axis of rotation. The  seasons of winter and summer are experienced by each hemisphere as the globe  revolves around the sun, respectively. 

That’s all about today’s article. 

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