FOR the past six months, the days have been getting shorter and the nights longer but that is about to reverse from today.
Tuesday, December 21 marks the shortest day of 2021 – also known as the Winter Solstice.
What time is sunset on the shortest day of the year 2021?
During Winter Solstice the sun travels the shortest path through the sky, creating the day of the year with the least sunlight.
Crowds flock to Glastonbury and Stonehenge to celebrate the occasion.
This year’s Winter Solstice – the point where the sun is lowest in the sky – will take place on Tuesday, December 21, at 3.53pm in London daylight.
It marks the end of autumn and the advent of winter as well as the gradual increase of daylight and shorter nights.
Why is it called the shortest day of the year?
The shortest day of the year in the northern hemisphere always occurs in December.
It is called the shortest day as it has the least amount of daylight.
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The sun rises in London at 8.05am and sets at 3.53pm in 2021.
Its timing varies as each year passes.
Although the shortest day of the year in the UK is on December 21 in 2021, some years this shifts to December 22, as it did in 2019.
This is because there are 365.25 days in our calendar year, or how long it takes for the earth to orbit the sun.
It means the exact time the sun is lowest in the sky shifts approximately six hours each year.
We also skip a day every four years – known as a leap year – which adjusts the timings.
How many daylight hours are there on shortest day of 2021?
The number of daylight hours on the shortest day is, of course, shorter than other days of the year.
On December 21, 2021, we will experience seven hours and 48 minutes of daylight, with the sun rising at 8.05am and setting at 3.53pm in London daylight.
Many people mark the solstice by travelling to Stonehenge in Wiltshire, but visitors have been asked to take a lateral flow test before travelling due to the spread of the Covid-19 virus.
Anyone venturing outside is advised to wrap up warm as its going to be cold with the chance of some showers although it will be mainly dry and cloudy, according to the forecasters.
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