"Embracing the Winter Solstice: Celebrating the Longest Night and the Return of Light"

The winter solstice, the shortest day and longest night of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, will occur on December 21 at 10:27 p.m. Eastern time. During the solstice, the sun appears directly over the Tropic of Capricorn, marking the beginning of astronomical winter. The solstice happens because Earth's axis is tilted, causing each hemisphere to receive different amounts of sunlight. After the solstice, the position of sunrise and sunset gradually shifts northward, resulting in longer days. Various cultures have celebrated the solstice throughout history, and landmarks like Stonehenge were built to mark the sun's changing path in the sky.