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What does winter solstice mean?
What happens during the winter solstice?
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The winter solstice marks the exact moment when half of Earth is tilted the farthest away from the sun. It usually happens on December 21 or 22, at the exact same...
- Christine Dell'amore
A solstice is a natural event that occurs twice a year – once in the summer and once in the winter, hence the name of this phenomenon, the summer and the winter solstices. It’s a direct result of the way the Earth moves around the Sun.
Oct 16, 2023 · This means that the sun is at the southern tropic. For the southern Hemisphere, the winter solstice is around 21 June. This means that the sun is at the northern tropic. The word solstice comes from Latin Sol (sun) and sistere (to not move), winter solstice meaning Sun standstill in winter.
- Latin Roots. In December, the sun stops moving southward, pauses, and then starts moving northward. This pause is called the solstice. Like many astronomical terms, the word “solstice” comes from Latin.
- The Shortest Day of the Year. On the day of winter solstice, the North Pole is tilted furthest away from the sun, resulting in the shortest daylight hours (a mere 7 hours and 50 minutes) and the longest night of the year.
- Ancient Tributes to the Winter Solstice. Ancient cultures, such as the Mayans and Egyptians, built magnificent structures, such as Stonehenge, to align with the winter solstice sunrise.
- Rebirth of the Sun. In many Northern Hemisphere cultures, the winter solstice is celebrated as the rebirth of the sun. It symbolizes the return of light and warmth after the longest night, inspiring feelings of hope and renewal.
The start of winter and the start of summer each occur on a solstice. There are two solstices each year—one in December and one in June. A solstice is a moment in the year when the Sun’s apparent path in the sky is farthest north or south from Earth’s Equator.
The winter solstice is the shortest day of the year and the official start of winter in the Northern Hemisphere.The day’s short length happens because of the...
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- CBC Kids News
The Winter Solstice is like a special day during winter when something interesting happens. It’s the shortest day and the longest night of the whole year. As we said above, according to the Earth’s tilt, every area’s distance from the Sun changes, creating a difference in temperatures.
