Seasons and sky
December Solstice
Direct answer
December Solstice: The December Solstice is the instant the Sun reaches its greatest southward declination for the year.
The December Solstice is the Sun annual southern declination extreme.
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At a glance
- Found in
- Seasons & Earth Almanac
- Related
- June Solstice, Subsolar Point, Astronomical Season, Equinox
The December Solstice is the Sun annual southern declination extreme.
A Sun-Earth orientation for seasonal, atmospheric, tidal, and terrestrial terms.
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The story behind December Solstice
Solstice observances around this date reflect many distinct cultural traditions and should not be collapsed into one origin story.
Why December Solstice matters
December Solstice creates the shortest daylight season near Northern Hemisphere winter and the longest near Southern Hemisphere summer.
How to read December Solstice
December Solstice speaks to almanac season starts, annual shadow extremes, and polar-night or midnight-Sun limits.
December Solstice in practice: an example
Near the Tropic of Capricorn, solar noon altitude reaches its annual maximum around the December Solstice.
Where readings of December Solstice go wrong
A common error is to label December Solstice as winter without specifying the Northern Hemisphere.
Sources and editorial method
Research references used for this entry include:
- NASA Science: Seeing Equinoxes and Solstices from Space - NASA explanation of axial tilt, the terminator, seasonal illumination, equinoxes, and solstices.
- U.S. Naval Observatory: The Seasons and the Earth's Orbit - Official explanation of axial tilt, solstices, equinoxes, perihelion, aphelion, and seasonal sunlight.
- Source
- The Great Almanac Dictionary
- Category
- Seasons & Earth Almanac
- Last updated
- 2026-09-26
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Common questions
What is the December Solstice?
The December Solstice is the instant the Sun reaches its greatest southward declination for the year.
What do people get wrong about the December Solstice?
A common error is to label December Solstice as winter without specifying the Northern Hemisphere.
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