Winter Solstice 2016 prevails today: Here’s everything you need to know

The astronomical phenomenon – winter solstice or otherwise called hibernal solstice is going to happen today, on 21st December. Today is the day which will mark the shortest day and the longest night of 2016. Astronomical winter will turn up at 5:44 am, on Wednesday morning and the temperature during this time, will be in the 20s, which is usually appropriate for the date. As per the official statement, 21st December will be a distinctive winter day containing heaps of sunbeams and soaring around 40 degrees.

Spilling more light on this matter, Bernie Rayno, the Chief Meteorologist of AccuWeather said, “With the sun rays reaching a particular point of earth, the event of winter solstice usually kicks off, and that peak moment is called the Tropic of Capricorn. The day of Winter Solstice is the beginning day of winter for the northern hemisphere and summer, of course, for the southern hemisphere of the globe. Winter Solstice brings the smallest day and longest night because of the diminutive sunlight.”

According to the reports published in EarthSky.org, at the peak moment, the sun will stand out in the straight line at Noon at exactly 23.5 degrees south of the equator, along with the invented latitude line called the Tropic of Capricorn. This will go in a straight line through Australia, Chile, Southern Brazil and Northern South Africa. In the entire year of shine, this is the most distant south the sun, and because of this, the Southern is privileged with the shortest day of the year on the winter solstice.

As per the statement of NASA on this matter, “Sharp at 5:44 a.m. EST, the sun will also hit the southernmost point of the Northern Hemisphere while moving in the sky. After that point, it will bring to a halt to its movement towards the southward and will start walking towards the north in the sky. Because of this, the event is titled as “solstice,” which a Latin word and stands for “the sun stands still”.