Precise second winter solstice 2025 arrives as Earth tilts away from Sun on shortest day
The winter solstice marks the shortest day and longest night of the year in the Northern Hemisphere before days gradually get longer
The winter solstice brings the shortest day and longest night of the year for those residing in the Northern Hemisphere. It’s a day many welcome as, from this point on, the days grow longer and nights get lighter until late June – although it doesn’t necessarily signal an improvement in weather conditions.
These seasonal shifts in sunlight, a consequence of Earth’s orbit around the sun, have been celebrated by humans for centuries. Iconic world landmarks such as England’s Stonehenge and the Torreon at Peru’s Machu Picchu were partially constructed to align with the solstices.
So when does the winter solstice 2025 arrive? According to the Farmer’s Almanac, the exact moment when the Northern Hemisphere tilts furthest from the Sun is this Sunday (December 21) at 10:03am in New York City (3:03pm in the UK). New York will experience just nine hours and fifteen minutes of daylight, reports the Mirror US.
So what exactly is the solstice?
As the Earth orbits the sun, it does so at an angle. For the majority of the year, Earth’s axis tilts either towards or away from the sun, resulting in uneven distribution of the sun’s heat and light across the planet’s northern and southern halves.
The solstices represent the moments in the year when the Earth reaches its maximum tilt towards or away from the sun. This causes the hemispheres to receive significantly different amounts of sunlight, leading to the most pronounced difference between day and night lengths.
During the winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere, the top half of our planet leans away from the sun, leading to the shortest day and longest night of the year. This event typically falls between 20th and 23rd December, with this year’s winter solstice landing on Sunday, 21st December.
During the summer solstice, the Northern Hemisphere tilts towards the sun, resulting in the longest day and shortest night of the year. This phenomenon occurs between 20th and 22nd June.
So, what exactly is an equinox?
The spring and autumn equinoxes happen when the Earth’s axis aligns perfectly with its orbit, distributing equal sunlight across both hemispheres.
The term “equinox” stems from Latin words meaning equal and night. This is because, during an equinox, day and night are almost identical in length – although one might be marginally longer depending on your geographical location.
In the Northern Hemisphere, the spring – or vernal – equinox can take place between 19th and 21st March, while the autumnal equinox can occur between 21st and 24th September.
The solstices and equinoxes give us our astronomical seasons – which differ slightly from meteorological seasons.
Essentially, these are just two distinct ways of segmenting the year. Meteorological seasons are dictated by weather patterns. They divide the year into three-month intervals based on annual temperature cycles.
According to this calendar, spring commences on 1st March, summer on 1st June, autumn on 1st September, and winter on 1st December.
On the other hand, astronomical seasons are determined by the Earth’s journey around the sun.
Solstices herald the commencement of summer and winter, while equinoxes signify the onset of spring and autumn.
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