Winter Solstice: The shortest day of year is almost here

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - Although the temperatures may already feel like it, the first official day of winter is this Saturday.

The first day of astronomical winter in the Northern Hemisphere is called the winter solstice. This year it takes place on Saturday, December 21 at 3:21 A.M. CST. This celestial event happens when the Earth’s axial tilt positions the Northern Hemisphere at its farthest point from the sun, resulting in the least amount of daylight for the year.

For the more than 6 billion people living in the Northern Hemisphere, this date will not only be the shortest day, but also the longest night of the year.

In Nashville, we can expect to see only nine hours and 41 minutes of daylight. Compared to the more than 14 hours of daylight we see during the summer solstice in June.

Since the summer solstice, the sun has been setting about one minute earlier each night. Once we hit the winter solstice, the sun will begin setting about a minute later each night. This will lengthen the total hours of daylight in a day from here on out.