When is shortest day uk

Unsurprisingly, the winter solstice on or around 21 December is a date that many people circle in the diary: thereon the days lengthen and the northern hemisphere begins it six-monthly trundle towards mid-summer and the summer solstice. Our guide to the winter solstice explains what it is, when it takes place and the best places to catch a spectacular sunset in Britain. In the Northern Hemisphere, in London the sun will set at approximately , marking the shortest period of daylight and the longest night of the year.

In winter solstice took place on Sunday 22nd December. In , the solstice will take place at approximately 4. The winter solstice will occur around True enough, the winter solstice is the shortest day and it seems reasonable to assume that on this day the sun will rise later than on any other day and set earlier. This, though, is not the case. The earliest sunsets in the year occur about a week before the solstice, and the latest sunrises around early January.

To be more precise, the earliest sunsets to the nearest minute in London will occur at between December. Meanwhile, the latest sunrises will occur at between 28 December and 2 January.

The days as a whole do get longer on 23 December because on this day the returning light in the evening finally outweighs the still diminishing morning light. You have up to 14 fewer dark nights to worry about. Why is the case? By default, this makes it the longest night, and an occasion worth celebrating. Autumn equinox: When does autumn begin? These comments are now closed. COP Climate change - what do all the words mean? Birds might stop flying south for winter.

Home Menu. Winter solstice: When is the shortest day of the year? Thousands of people usually gather at Stonehenge in Wiltshire every year to watch the sun rise on the shortest day of the year, but this year the site was closed due to coronavirus. UK: Stonehenge was unusually empty during this year's winter solstice. The event was livestreamed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Getty Images. UK: Thousands of people usually gather at Stonehenge in Wiltshire to watch the sun rise on the shortest day of the year.

This image is from a previous year, before the coronavirus pandemic prevented large gatherings. This year the festival has gone digital due to the coronavirus pandemic. CHINA: The Winter solstice marks the end of the harvest season and is celebrated with family gatherings and a big meal, including rice balls called tang yuan.

This extra quarter day is why we add a day to the calendar every four years with a leap year - to stop the dates drifting gradually through the seasons. December 21 marks our winter solstice, but it's the summer solstice if you head beneath the equator. So the December 21 solstice falls in the middle of their summer, while the June solstice is their winter. Jump directly to the content.

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