Solstice is an astronomically significant day when the duration of the day is the longest in one of the two hemispheres of the Earth and the shortest in the other. Every year this falls on the 21st of June & December, namely, the June Solstice and the December Solstice.
The December Solstice is known as Winter Solstice in the north as it is the shortest day and marks the peak winter in the Northern Hemisphere. This day is known as the Summer Solstice in the south as it is the longest day and marks the peak summer in the Southern Hemisphere.
Astronomy
Astronomically, Solstice is that moment when the Sun reaches maximum declination from the celestial equator.
Stonehenge and Solstice
Built between 3,000-2,000 BC, the Stonehenge shows how meticulously our ancestors observed the Sun. It is aligned on a line of sight that points to the sunset on Winter Solstice. Thus, it can be deduced that during those times, the Winter Solstice was of more importance than the Summer Solstice.
Sun’s Journey – Uttarayana
Across the year, the Sun appears to oscillate between north and south of the celestial equator. In India, the Sun’s northward movement is called ‘Uttarayana’, and the Sun’s southward movement is called ‘Dakshinayana’. December Solstice marks the end of the Sun’s southward movement as the Sun enters the Capricornus constellation, giving it the name – ‘Uttarāyanam’ or Makara Sankramanā. However, due to precession in the Earth’s axis, Makara Sankramana occurs on the 14th of January in the current times.
On this day, the Sun reaches its southernmost point in the sky, and the South Pole faces the Sun. Due to the Earth’s axial tilt, the North Pole gets no sunlight for an entire day and the South Pole receives sunlight for an entire night.
On December Solstice, at the Tropic of Capricorn the Sun shines from Zenith at noon.
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More Info:
- Solstice : https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Solstice
- December Solstice : https://www.wikiwand.com/en/December_Solstice