Winter solstice - December 21

[Jim Colyer]

Posted: 12/20/12 at 3:42pm

Winter solstice! Winter begins in the Northern Hemisphere, December 21, 2012. The sun is at its fartherest point south of the equator, overhead at the Tropic of Capricorn. The Tropic of Capricorn runs through Australia. This is as far south as the sun gets (23.5 degrees south latitude).

The sun is below the horizon 24 hours north of the Arctic Circle and above the horizon 24 hours south of the Anarctic Circle.

There is 6 months of darkness at the North Pole and 6 months of daylight at the South Pole.

The sun is overhead at the equater twice during a year and overhead at the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn once. It never gets directly overhead in the United States. It is too far north.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 12/20/12 at 3:51pm

Fun Fact - The Winter Solstice was commandeered by Christianity and turned into "Christmas."

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 12/20/12 at 9:26pm

Benjamin Banneker was the first African American astronomer. He was born in Maryland before the United States was even established as a country, in November of 1731. That was closer to the solstice than not.

[SueleenGay]

Posted: 12/20/12 at 9:46pm

Bjork, someone who really knows how to write a song, sings one about the solstice.

[CJ N2N]

Posted: 12/20/12 at 9:55pm

WHEN THE MOONNNNNN IS IN THE SEVENTH HOUSE....