Winter in the northern hemisphere (and summer in the south) begins on December 22 at 4 hours 27 minutes on the peninsula and in the Balearic Islands (3h 27m in the Canary Islands). At this time, if there are no clouds, it is when the skies are most transparent. We indicate 10 astronomical curiosities about the day of the solstice and the coldest months of the year.
1. Short days. On the day of the solstice, this year December 22, the longest northern night takes place. On that day, in Madrid the night will last 14 hours and 43 minutes, while there will only be 9 hours and 17 minutes of sunlight.
2. Tropic of Capricorn. On the winter solstice, the Earth’s North Pole is farther from the Sun than the South Pole. Seen from Earth, the Sun is at noon on the “Tropic of Capricorn”, its southernmost possible position. After the solstice, the midday Sun appears a little further north each day, that is, a little higher if we look at it from the northern hemisphere.
3. Still sun. On the days before and after the 22nd, the maximum height of the Sun in the sky at noon does not change much in the sky. That’s where the word “solstice” comes from, which means ‘Static Sun’.
4. North Pole. At the North Pole, the night that began on the autumn equinox (September 23) reaches its midpoint, with another three months of night remaining until spring arrives.