Winter Solstice

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Context

• 21st December or the Winter Solstice marks the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.
• The same day marks the Summer Solstice, the year's longest day, in the Southern Hemisphere.

About Solstice

• The word's Latin meaning is "stalled sun." It is a twice-yearly natural occurrence that takes place in both the summer and the winter in each hemisphere of the planet.

What is Winter Solstice?

• In the Northern Hemisphere, it is often referred to as the "first day of winter" and the "Hiemal solstice or hibernal solstice."
• It is the shortest day and longest night of the year.
• At this time, the Tropic of Capricorn (23.5° south) is where the Sun shines overhead, with countries in the Northern Hemisphere being the furthest from the Sun.
• The Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, which are north and south of the Equator, are located at latitudes of 23.5°.
• The Arctic and Antarctic Circles, to the north and south, are at 66.5°.
• A location's latitude indicates how far it is from the Equator.
• On June 21, the Summer Solstice the longest day of the year will occur in the Northern Hemisphere and the shortest day in the Southern Hemisphere, reversing the current scenario.
• According to Vedic tradition, the Surya Siddhanta, which describes the Uttarayana (the time between Makar Sankranti and Karka Sankranti), indirectly acknowledges the Earth's northern migration on the celestial sphere.
• Therefore, the first day of Uttarayana is the Winter Solstice.

Geography behind Solstice

• The tilt of the Earth is the cause of the varying day lengths.
• The tilt of the Earth's rotational axis with respect to its orbital plane is 23.5°.
• Everywhere on the planet experiences a varied length of day because of changes in the duration of sunlight caused by this tilt as well as other factors like Earth's spin and orbit.
• With its tilt towards the Sun for half of the year, the Northern Hemisphere enjoys lengthy summer days with direct sunlight.
• It tilts away from the Sun during the other half of the year, resulting in shorter days.
• The tilt is also the cause of Earth's distinct seasons.
• Seasonal variations in the year are brought about by this phenomenon, which causes the Sun to migrate from the northern to the southern hemisphere and vice versa.