What is Winter solstice? The shortest day of the year explained

Everything you need to know about the shortest day of the year

The combination of long nights and cloudy skies mean daylight hours are now few and far between.

Before we wish away the winter in favour of brighter summer days, there's the winter solstice to look forward to.

The shortest day of the year, the winter solstice marks the point when the sun is at its lowest point in the sky in the northern hemisphere.

It is the official beginning of winter and is the day with the fewest daylight hours - and is marked with an annual celebration at Stonehenge

But once it has passed, the days become longer meaning spring, and warmer weather, start to become an ever-increasing dot on the horizon.

What is the winter solstice?

The winter solstice is the official start of winter and the shortest day of the year. The ‘solstice’ aspect refers to when the sun is shining over the Tropic of Capricorn, at its most southern point.

It marks the beginning of winter because this is when the Northern Hemisphere is tilted the furthest away from the sun and when the coldest temperatures of the year will begin.

Temperatures won’t pick up again until after the Spring equinox which will be March 20, 2018.

When is the winter solstice?

The shortest day of the year, and the day the winter solstice will occur, is Friday, December 21.

On this day the sun will rise over the UK at 8:03am and will set at 3:53pm, meaning we have just under eight hours of daylight.

Compared to this the summer solstice, which was the longest day of 2018, was on June 21 when the sun rose at 4:43am and set at 9.21pm - meaning we enjoyed more than 16 hours of daylight.

Comparatively, the longest day of 2018, the summer solstice, was June 21 where the sun rose at 4:43am and set at 9:21pm – over 16 hours of daylight.

The winter solstice will occur at exactly 10.23pm on Friday, December 21.

A very vintage Christmas 1900-1930 - In pictures

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Why do we celebrate winter solstice at Stonehenge?

Historically, Stonehenge has been a popular site to celebrate the winter solstice as it marks the “re-birth” of the sun for the new year on the Pagan calendar.

Thousands of people gather each year to watch the sun rise at Stonehenge on the shortest day of the year.

Stonehenge is said to align with the winter solstice’s sunset and the summer solstice’s sunrise.

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