Welcome Winter Solstice

Submitted by ub on

Today, we officially welcome The Winter Solstice which marks our longest night if the year.

The winter solstice also means the shortest day of the year, which is Monday night. The solstice occurs at the same instant everywhere on Earth, according to www.earthsky.org

It officially happens tonight at 11:48 p.m. ET, 10:48 p.m. CT, 9:48 p.m. MT and 8:48 p.m. PT. Solstice marks the moment at which the Northern Hemisphere is tilted as far away from the sun as it will be all year.

It's the astronomical beginning of the winter season though meteorologists define the beginning of winter as Dec. 1, the start of the coldest three months in the Northern Hemisphere.

Historians claim there’s no specific date in the Bible referring to December 25 as the birth of Jesus Christ, so some say the Christian church selected the date several centuries later, tying it to the Roman holiday Dies Natalis Solis Invictus, or the Birthday of the Unconquerable Sun. The winter solstice serves a turning point in many cultures, which is why it was tied to the Mayan apocalypse scare that marked the end of the calendar and to some believers, the end of the world.

When is the 2015 winter solstice? Everything you need to know about the shortest day of the year | http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/science/12061231/When-is-the-shortest-da...

Everything You Need to Know About the Winter Solstice http://on.natgeo.com/1UVWSAt via @NatGeo

Winter Solstice 2015: 5 Facts To Know About The First Day Of Winter http://www.ibtimes.com/winter-solstice-2015-5-facts-know-about-first-day...