Winter Solstice Is On Its Way

Late sunrise. Early sunset. Short moment. Long night. For us in the Northern Hemisphere, the December solstice marks the longest night and shortest day of the year. In the meantime, on the afternoon of the December solstice, the southern hemisphere has its own longest day and shortest night. This special day is on Thursday, December 21 at 4:28 pm UTC. Wherever you live in Earth’s world, a solstice is the sign to celebrate. Follow the links below to understand more on the 2021 December solstice.

When is it the solstice where I live?

The solstice happens in the exact same instant for most of us, everywhere on Earth. In 2021, the December solstice comes on December 21 at 10:58 a.m. CST. That is on December 21 at 4: 58 Universal Time. It is when the sun on our sky’s dome reaches its farthest southward stage for the year. At this solstice, the northern hemisphere has its own shortest day and longest night of the year.

What’s a solstice?

The earliest individuals on Earth knew that the sun’s path throughout the sky, the duration of daylight, and also the location of the sunset and sunrise changed in a way during the year. They built monuments like Stonehenge in England – or, for instance, at Machu Picchu – to follow the sun’s annual progress.

Today, we know that a solstice is an astronomical event, due to Earth’s tilt on its axis, and its own movement in orbit around the sun. Since Earth doesn’t orbit vertical but is rather tilted on its axis by 23 half levels, Earth’s Northern and Southern Hemispheres trade places in getting the sun’s warmth and light most directly. The inclination of the Earth – not our space from the sun – is what causes summer and winter. In the December solstice, the Northern Hemisphere is leaning most away from the sun for the year. In the December solstice, Earth is positioned in its orbit so the sun stays beneath the north pole horizon.

As seen from 23 Half degrees south of the equator, in the imaginary line surrounding the world known as the Tropic of Capricorn, the sun shines directly overhead at noon. This can be as far south as the sunlight gets. All places south of the equator have afternoon Lengths greater than 12 hours in the December solstice. In the meantime, all places north of the equator have an afternoon length less than 12 hours. For us on the northern part of the Earth, the shortest day comes in the solstice. Following the winter solstice, the days become longer and the nights shorter.

It is a seasonal shift that everyone notices. Where should you look to see indications of the solstice in character? For all of Earth’s animals, nothing is really fundamental as the duration of daylight. In the end, the sun is the ultimate source of all warmth and light on Earth.

Using cannabis to prepare for the winter solstice

With shorter days comes less sunlight. This can lead to feelings of depression and in some cases, Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). Using cannabis can help alleviate symptoms of depression and some people may greatly benefit from using cannabis during dark winter months.