Winter Solstice: The Shortest Day of the Year

M.C. Millman

About 17 minutes after sunset, half of Earth will tilt farthest from the sun in what is known as the Winter Solstice. 

The Winter Solstice occurs twice each year, once in each hemisphere. It does not always fall out on December 21; it can be either on the 21 or the 22 of the month. 

The actual Winter Solstice only lasts a moment, but the term can also refer to the day on which it falls out. This is the shortest day of the year - or the 24 hours with the least sunlight because less sunlight reaches Earth.

After today, the days only get longer until we reach the summer solstice - the day with the most hours of sunlight. 

In Rockland, sunset will be at around 4:31 p.m., and the winter solstice shortly after at around 4:48 p.m.