Winter solstice: Today is the shortest day and longest night of the year

POLOKWANE – Did you know that if you stand outside at noon and look at your shadow, it will be the longest shadow you cast the entire year?

Today marks the Winter Solstice for 2024 which means it is the shortest day and longest night of the year. It also marks the official midpoint of the year.

The winter solstice is an astronomical event that happens twice each year in summer and winter when the Sun reaches its highest position in the sky as seen from the North or South Pole.

This means that the earth will tilt towards or in the case of the winter soltice, away from the sun.

In addition, every day from now on will have an earlier sunrise and later sunset.

Here are some facts about the winter solstice:

• Days before and after the winter solstice occurs, the sun appears to stand still in the sky at its noon-time elevation.
• Solstices have been used throughout history to time many important events each year, including the sowing of seeds for crops, mating of animals, harvesting of crops, and monitoring the reserves of winter food.
• During the winter solstice the sun appears to be at its lowest point in the sky.
• Following the winter solstice the days begin to become longer while the nights begin to shorten.
• Although winter solstice marks the beginning of the astrological winter, the coldest winter days are yet to come, often not for a month or even two in some years.
• During the solstice, whether it is summer or winter solstice, the sun isn’t moving – it’s actually the earth tilting to and away from the sun.