Astronomy

Winter Solstice for this year will occur on December 22, 2007 at 6:08 AM UT (Universal Time), when the sun shines directly over the tropic of Capricorn. This event marks beginning of winter in the Northern Hemisphere, and summer in the Southern Hemisphere.

At winter solstice, the sun appears at its lowest point in the sky, and its noontime elevation appears to be the same for several days before and after the solstice. It also brings the shortest day and the longest night of the year. Hence the origin of the word solstice, which comes from Latin solstitium, from sol, “sun” and -stitium, “a stoppage.” Following the winter solstice, the days begin to grow longer and the nights shorter.

Tropic of Capricorn, or Southern tropic, lies at 23° 26? 22? south of the Equator, and marks the most southerly latitude at which the sun can appear directly overhead at noon. So that, on Winter Solstice, the southern hemisphere is tilted towards the sun to its maximum extent. It so named because the constellation corresponding to this position in the sky was Capricornus when the constellations were named nearly 2000 years ago. However, precession effect has resulted in a shift of the position of the Sun so that it is now in the constellation Sagittarius during this time.

The position of the Tropic of Capricorn is not fixed, but varies in a complex manner over time.

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