Overview
- Sunday’s solstice occurred at 10:03 a.m. EST with the Sun directly over the Tropic of Capricorn, marking the Northern Hemisphere’s shortest day.
- Despite the turn toward longer daylight, many U.S. locations will see sunrise keep getting later for roughly two weeks; in Washington, D.C., it continues into early January, and in Miami the shift reverses around Jan. 12–13.
- The offset arises because the solar day runs slightly longer than 24 hours near the solstices, a result of Earth’s elliptical orbit and axial tilt that decouples the earliest sunset and latest sunrise from the solstice.
- Local and cultural observances marked the moment worldwide, from reflective rituals in Salt Lake City to India’s colloquial ‘Big Day’ that highlights the start of lengthening days.
- While winter begins in the north, the Southern Hemisphere entered summer with its longest day, underscoring the global mirror-image of seasons.