Winter Solstice

Today marks the Winter Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere. This is the shortest day (and the longest night) of the year and marks the official beginning of winter. The Winter Solstice occurs when the Earth’s northern axis tilts at its furthest point away from the sun. The sun appears at its most southerly position in the sky and is located directly overhead at high noon at the Tropic of Capricorn (23 degrees 27 minutes south of the equator). This year’s Winter Solstice also closely coincides with a full moon and the Ursid Meteor Shower. I thought our torchlight parade and fireworks show was as cool as it gets, but Mother Nature may have outdone us once again!