Today is the shortest day of the year. Today, the duration of the day will be only 10 hours 54 minutes and 24 seconds. And the night will be about 13 hours, 5 minutes and 36 seconds. But in Bhubaneswar, the day will be 10 hours 54 minutes and the night will be about 13 hours 5 minutes till the 27th. On the 21st, the longest day in Sundargarh and Malkangiri will be 10 hours 47 minutes and 11 hours 1 minute respectively. On that date, the longest day in Delhi and Kanyakumari will be only 10 hours 19 minutes and 11 hours 39 minutes respectively, said senior scientist Dr. Subhendu Patnaik.
Today, December 21st, marks the Winter Solstice, the shortest day and longest night of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. This event occurs when the Earth’s axial tilt is farthest from the sun, causing the sun to take its lowest path through the sky, resulting in the shortest amount of daylight.
What is the Winter Solstice?
This is a Latin word. Which means the setting of the sun. The Earth rotates on its axis and moves towards the sun. So in this respect, a part of the Earth that comes in contact with the sun is added to the word solstice.
Here’s a bit more detail on what happens during the Winter Solstice:
- Shortest Day: The Winter Solstice is the day when the Northern Hemisphere experiences the least amount of daylight, usually lasting only a few hours depending on where you are. After today, the days will gradually start to lengthen again.
- Longest Night: Alongside the short day, the Winter Solstice also brings the longest night, with darkness lasting longer than at any other point in the year.
- The Start of Winter: The solstice marks the official start of winter in the Northern Hemisphere. It’s the moment when the sun reaches its southernmost point relative to the Earth, and it’s also a turning point where the days begin to get longer.
This day has held cultural and spiritual significance for centuries in various traditions, often celebrated with festivals, feasts, and rituals as people welcome the return of longer days and the gradual end of the harshest part of winter.
In the Southern Hemisphere, this day is the Summer Solstice, the longest day and shortest night of the year.
It is worth noting that the Earth is tilted 23.5 degrees in its orbit around the Sun and rotates on its axis. Due to this, the Sun does not rise or set at the same place every day. The northern and southern movements of the Sun are also observed. On June 21 of every year, the Sun is above the Tropic of Cancer, which is at 23.5 degrees in the northern hemisphere. From there, it gradually moves south, which is called the southern movement of the Sun. In this way, the Sun gradually moves south, and by December 22, the Sun moves above the Tropic of Capricorn, which is 23.5 degrees south of the equator. As a result, there is a difference in the duration of day and night at different times of the year.
