The Shortest Day of The Year: Winter Solstice 2009

According to U.S. Naval Observatory Winter Solstice 2009 will arrive at 12:47 PM today according to U.S. Naval Observatory data. It is also the shortest day of the year. And looking out through the windows, it is obvious that winter has arrived.

But why is Winter Solstice 2009 the shortest day of the year ? It is because today the earth’s axial tilt is most remote from the sun. This results in having the shortest hours of light vs. longest hours of darkness. (June 21, by the way, will be the longest day of the year)

“Yule” is another term commonly referred to when talking about the Winter Solstice which always has been a day full of celebrations, superstitions and mythological belief. Even the big worldwide celebration of Christmas is considered an off-shoot of this traditionally “pagan” celebration. The Swedish word for Christmas – “Jul” for example carries an obvious reminder of this very ancient holiday.

Image via Wikipedia