A diagram of how the Sun moves through the sky on the winter solstice.
Click on image for full size

The Winter Solstice

Let's pretend, for the moment, that you're the person standing on the Earth in the picture to the left, living in Topeka, Kansas, around 40° N latitude. The picture on the left shows the view from the solar system (upper panel), and from on the surface of the earth (lower panel). Notice that some of the same features are labelled on each panel.

The upper panel shows that on the winter solstice (which occurs around December 21), the northern half of the Earth is tilted away from the Sun. Notice that the Sun is south of the equator. For you in Topeka, the altitude of the Sun at noon is 26.5°, which is pretty low in the sky. That is the lowest the Sun gets at that latitude. It has been getting lower and lower in the sky since the summer solstice and through the autumnal equinox. The bottom panel shows how the Sun moves through the sky for someone standing on the ground in Topeka.

So, on the winter solstice, the northern hemisphere is getting less direct sunlight than the southern hemisphere. This is winter for people in the northern hemisphere. During the winter, the Sun is also above the horizon for a shorter time than it is during the summer (the nights are long). The winter solstice is the shortest day of the year.

At this same time, the southern half of the Earth is tilted toward the Sun. If you were living in Valdivia, Chile (about -40° S latitude) you would be enjoying a nice warm summer.

How high the Sun get's in your sky, and how long it is above the horizon during the day, depend not only on the season, but also on your latitude.

You might also be interested in:

Traveling Nitrogen Classroom Activity Kit

Check out our online store - minerals, fossils, books, activities, jewelry, and household items!...more

The Cairns of Clava

Not too far from Loch Ness, there lies three giant tombs made of stones. They are called the Balnuaran of Clava. The Balnuaran of Clava, giant tombs encased in stone, can be found close to Inverness in...more

Megaliths Revealed

Many people are interested in the mysterious megalithic structures that can be found around the world. A megalithic structure is a ancient monument made of large stones. Megalith comes from Greek; "mega"...more

Blow, Blow, Thou Winter Wind, by William Shakespeare

BLOW, blow, thou winter wind, Thou art not so unkind As man's ingratitude; Thy tooth is not so keen, Because thou art not seen, Although thy breath be rude. Heigh ho! sing, heigh ho! unto the green holly....more

Saturn's Southern Polar Vortex

Saturn's South Pole is very stormy. It is also surprisingly warm. A huge, hurricane-like storm is centered on the South Pole. Astronomers recently discovered that the pole is also warmer than any other...more

Native American Astronomy

People from Asia crossed the Bering Strait into North America. These people were first in this new land and so they are known as Native Americans. Over time, these people broke into tribes (as seen on...more

Archeoastronomy

"The movements of the heavenly bodies are an admirable thing, well known and manifest to all peoples. There are no people, no matter how barbaric and primitive, that do not raise up their eyes, take note,...more

The Stones of Carnac

The stones of Carnac, France, are probably the most famous stones markings outside of those found at Stonehenge in England. There are many, many stones at Carnac. And these stones are very old too, the...more

Windows to the Universe, a project of the National Earth Science Teachers Association, is sponsored in part is sponsored in part through grants from federal agencies (NASA and NOAA), and partnerships with affiliated organizations, including the American Geophysical Union, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Earth System Information Partnership, the American Meteorological Society, the National Center for Science Education, and TERC. The American Geophysical Union and the American Geosciences Institute are Windows to the Universe Founding Partners. NESTA welcomes new Institutional Affiliates in support of our ongoing programs, as well as collaborations on new projects. Contact NESTA for more information. NASA ESIP NCSE HHMI AGU AGI AMS NOAA