Winter Solstice Tonight

Air Date: December 21, 2015

At 11:48pm, Earth reaches a specific point in its orbit around the sun, where the axial tilt of the earth has its greatest extension away from the sun and at noon in the southern hemisphere, the sun sits right over the Tropic of Cancer. We dwell for a few days, then begin the march towards March.

Apollo 8 left Earth on this day in 1968 – it was the first manned circumnavigation of the moon. Arrived at the moon on Christmas Eve. Isaac Newton’s 373rd birth anniversary is Christmas Day! Full moon is also on the 25th, first time for a Christmas full moon in 19 years, next will be in 2034.

WHYY is your source for fact-based, in-depth journalism and information. As a nonprofit organization, we rely on financial support from readers like you. Please give today.