The days are all set to get longer and we mean it in a rather literal way. So if you have tired of the evenings coming too quick then the winter solstice changes it all. Winter solstice is an annual astronomical phase during which the day is the shortest, thus making it the longest night of the year. Since the earth is divided into two hemispheres, it takes place twice, one time in each hemisphere. It takes place when the North Pole is farthest away from the sun. So as the solstice approaches, the daylight hours grow shorter. After the solstice, the days lengthen and nights become shorter. Winter solstice is called as the hibernal solstice and occurs between December 20 and December 23, although the dates differ every year. Winter Solstice 2018 or December Solstice will take place at 3:53 am on December 22 IST. According to the Universal Coordinated Time, Winter Solstice 2018 will be on Friday, 21 December 2018, 22:23. When is Summer Solstice 2018? What is It? Why is it the Longest Day & Is It the Hottest Day of the Year? 

What is Winter Solstice?

The word solstice is a Latin word which denotes sol (sun) and sistere (to stand still). So as the summers advance towards the winter, the points of the Earth from where the sunrise takes place also head southwards. When the sun reaches the southernmost position it is called as the winter solstice day. On this winter solstice of the Northern Hemisphere, the North Pole will tilt about 23.5° (23°27′) away from the Sun. So the sun shines directly over the Tropic of Capricorn. It occurs when the sun is lowest in the sky. The phenomenon marks the beginning of the winter season in the Northern Hemisphere. Although there is still a debate if it actually starts off the winter season, the temperatures in the day start falling.

Winter Solstice 2018 Timings In India

Winter Solstice Time- 03:51:42

Sunrise- 07:07:30

Sunset- 18:06:32

Watch Video Explaining the Astronomical Phenomenon of Winter Solstice

 The Shortest Day of The Year and Longest Night of The Year

The winter solstice is always associated with being the shortest day and longest night on the planet. It is because on the night of winter solstice occurrence, the daylight is limited and the darkness is present for the majority of the time. So we experience the least amount of daylight in the 24 hours of consideration of a day.

December Solstice it is winter time in the UK, the USA, Canada, Russia, India and China and it is the shortest day of the year while it is summer time in Australia, Argentina, Chile, New Zealand and South Africa and it is the longest day of the year. The astronomical phenomenon marks the beginning of the seasonal shifts on the planet.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 18, 2018 04:15 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).