This morning at 5:44 am EST we officially experienced the winter solstice of 2016. This is the shortest day of the year for the Northern Hemisphere (and the longest for the Southern Hemisphere) due to the tilt of the earth’s axis of rotation, which is tilting away from the sun this time of the year. From here on, days will be getting longer again until the summer solstice in June. Here are some stories about the solstice you might enjoy.
EarthSky: December 21 is the 2016 winter solstice
National Weather Service: The seasons, the equinox and the solstices
EarthSky: Winter solstice at Stonehenge
EarthSky: Where noon only comes once a year
Time: When does winter start? It depends what you mean by winter
