Winter Solstice 2024: Know everything about SHORTEST day of the year

The Winter solstice on 2024 occurs on December 21 at 14:51 IST. It signals the start of winter in the Northern Hemisphere and summer in the Southern Hemisphere

The solstice represents the sun's southernmost point in the sky. In the Northern Hemisphere, it begins winter with long nights and short days

The solstice is an astronomical phenomenon caused by Earth’s axial tilt of 23.5 degrees. This tilt, along with Earth’s orbit, makes hemispheres alternately receive direct sunlight

Though solstice marks the year's shortest day in the north, the earliest sunset happens earlier. This occurs due to variations between solar noon and clock time around December 21

At the December solstice, the North Pole remains in darkness, while the South Pole experiences continuous daylight. Northern areas see days shorter than 12 hours

In the Northern Hemisphere, observe late dawns, early sunsets, and long noontime shadows. Conversely, in the south, expect early dawns, late sunsets and and shorter shadows at noon

The solstice forms part of a recurring sequence: earliest sunset, shortest day, and latest sunrise for the north; or earliest sunrise, longest day, and latest sunset for the south