Winter Solstice 2025: When the Longest Night of the Year Will Arrive.

According to ТСН: For many people, this signals the arrival of winter. In this article, we will consider when the winter solstice will occur in 2025 and what makes this period special.

When does the winter solstice occur in 2025

In 2025, the winter solstice will take place on December 21. In the northern hemisphere, this is the day with the longest night, while in the southern hemisphere, it is the day with the shortest daylight.

At polar latitudes, this phenomenon has its peculiarities:

• At the North Pole, the sun does not rise at all during the winter solstice.

• In tropical regions, the sun remains approximately 23° below the horizon.

• At the Arctic Circle, the center of the sun just touches the southern horizon without rising above it, making this day the only one in the year when the sun does not appear for 24 hours.

What happens from a scientific point of view

The solstice is the moment when the sun reaches its maximum distance from the equator. At this time, the duration of day or night reaches record levels. Geographically, this is determined by the moment when the sun reaches its extreme northern or southern latitude.

In Ukraine, at temperate latitudes, phenomena like polar day or polar night are not observed. Even during the winter solstice, the sun still rises and sets. Thanks to this, we clearly feel the contrast between day and night, unlike in polar regions where it does not exist.

Why the date of the solstice changes

The winter solstice does not always occur on the same day. This is related to the peculiarities of the calendar and the Earth's orbit: it takes longer than 365 days to orbit the sun. To compensate for the fractional part of the year, there are leap years, which causes the exact date of the solstice to 'jump' between December 20, 21, and 22.

Small astronomical nuances, including the tilt of the Earth's axis, also affect the day when the sun reaches its extreme deviation. Hence, every year the winter solstice can fall on different days but always in the third decade of December.

The winter solstice is not only an astronomical phenomenon but also a cultural tradition for many peoples. In various cultures, this day is often associated with festivals, celebrating the return of light after the darkest time of the year. Therefore, knowledge of this phenomenon can be important for understanding not only astronomy but also the social traditions associated with it.