he winter solstice happens this Saturday night. Here are a few things that hinge on the winter solstice.

The winter solstice is better named the December solstice. The reason is the solstice tomorrow, December 21, 2019 isn’t the start of winter in the southern hemisphere. It’s the start of astronomical summer south of the equator.

The solstice is at 11:19 p.m. Saturday, December 21, 2019.
Diagram shows how the earth's northern axis is tilted away from the sun at the December solstice. (NASA)
By definition, astronomical winter starts at the time of the solstice. The solstice is when the sun is farthest south in its arc across the northern hemisphere sky. This means the distance from the horizon up to the sun is the shortest of the year. The sun is basically lowest in the sky. As a result, we have our shortest day and longest night in the time period surrounding the solstice.

The solstice is caused by the tilt of the earth’s axis. At winter, the earth’s northern end of the axis is pointed away from the sun.

 

Thanks George! I am glad that the after Saturday we will be heading back the other way. I am tired of commuting in the dark.

 

warm today
Summer will be here before we know it

 

Happy 2 have a Drop Top again in my life SO look forward to warm summer days / nights in it

 

I'm also ready for more light. Sunrise was 8:54 this morning and sunset is at 4:10.

 

Drop Top is everything! It's been 20+ straight vert years for me.