Winter Solstice

Dec. 21, 2016 5:44 A.M. EDT (10:44 UT), marks the solstice?the beginning of winter in the Northern Hemisphere and summer in the Southern Hemisphere

by Ann-Marie Imbornoni

In astronomy, the solstice is either of the two times a year when the Sun is at its greatest distance from the celestial equator, the great circle on the celestial sphere that is on the same plane as the earth's equator. In the Northern Hemisphere, the winter solstice occurs either December 21 or 22, when the sun shines directly over the tropic of Capricorn; the summer solstice occurs either June 20 or 21, when the sun shines directly over the tropic of Cancer. In the Southern Hemisphere, the winter and summer solstices are reversed.