No matter where on Earth you are, it's time for the December solstice! 10:59am EST (15:59 UTC) marks the start of astronomical winter in the Northern Hemisphere—and the beginning of astronomical summer in the Southern Hemisphere. Here's what that means:
In meteorology, Earth’s winter season for the Northern Hemisphere and summer season for the Southern Hemisphere began on Dec. 1, 2021. However, the December solstice brings in the astronomical winter and summer seasons, respectively, for the two hemispheres of our planet. This will happen onDuring the solstices, Earth reaches a point where its tilt is at the greatest angle to the plane of its orbit, causing one hemisphere to receive more daylight than the other.
Earth’s axis may be imagined as an imaginary pole going right through the center of our planet from “top” to “bottom.” Earth spins around this pole, making one complete turn each day. That is why we have day and night.Although the tilt of the Earth as compared to the plane of its orbit around the Sun is more or less constant , at the December solstice, the Northern Hemisphere receives the most indirect sunlight, causing cooler temperatures.
After the winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere, the days will get longer and the nights shorter until the summer solstice on June 21, 2022, when things reverse. The March equinox on March 20, 2022, will mark the beginning of the astronomical spring season and the September equinox on September 22, 2022, will mark the beginning of astronomical fall.
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