Happy December Solstice 2025!

✨ Most solstice posts say “shortest day of the year.” But the real story is far more interesting — with 24-hour nights, a Sun that seems to pause in the sky, and cosmic surprises you might not expect. Here’s what really happens at the December Solstice 2025…

Mark your calendars: The December Solstice arrives on Sunday, December 21, 2025, at 15:03 UTC (10:03 am EST | 7:03 am PST). 🌞🌎 ❄️☃️🐻‍❄️🤍⛸🥥🌴🌺🍍🌸

On the Solstice, the terminator line (the shadow boundary between day and night) is at its steepest tilt.

• • Solstice = when Earth’s axis tilt toward/away from the Sun is maximized. The Northern Hemisphere tilts farthest away from the Sun (and the south tilts toward it).
  • This creates an extreme distribution of sunlight: the North Pole is in 24-hour darkness, while the South Pole has 24-hour daylight. Areas above ~66.5° N see no sunrise, and regions below ~66.5° S see no sunset.
  • The terminator (day/night line) is highly slanted with respect to Earth’s axis. From space at the solstice, one polar region lies entirely in night and the other entirely in day. (At the equinoxes, by contrast, the terminator runs straight through the poles.)
  • From the Tropic of Capricorn (23.5° S), the Sun is directly overhead at solar noon on this day. It’s the only time of year the Sun is exactly at zenith that far south.
  • From the North Pole, the Sun never rises – it’s roughly 23.5° below the horizon at local noon (the darkest it gets). From the South Pole, the Sun circles the horizon all day, reaching about 23.5° above the horizon at “solar noon” (its highest for the year).

  This extreme setup only occurs around the solstices. On any other day, the terminator is tilted to a lesser degree. Six months from now (June solstice), the situation will be exactly reversed – the North Pole will be sunlit and the south in darkness.

🌍 Fun Sun–Earth Geometry

The December solstice happens at the exact moment when the Sun’s center reaches its southernmost position in Earth’s sky – directly above the Tropic of Capricorn (23.5°S). In terms of celestial geometry, the Sun’s path (the ecliptic) is angled about 23.5° away from the celestial equator (Earth’s equator projected into space).

• Earth’s axial tilt: Earth’s spin axis is tilted ~23.5° relative to its orbital plane. This tilt is why we have seasons.
• Subsolar point: the point on Earth where the Sun is directly overhead. It migrates north/south through the year. At the December solstice, it hits its southernmost latitude (23.5°S), and then begins moving northward.
• Celestial equator: Earth’s equator projected onto the sky. The Sun appears south of this line for half the year and north of it for the other half.
• Ecliptic: the Sun’s apparent path through the sky over a year (a reflection of Earth’s orbital plane). It is tilted 23.5° relative to the celestial equator.
• Equinoxes vs. Solstices: The equinoxes are the two points where the ecliptic and celestial equator intersect – in March and September. The solstices are the points where the Sun is farthest from those intersections – its peak north or south excursion.

In March and September, the Sun crosses the celestial equator (equinox = equal day/night). In June, it reaches its northernmost point (the Tropic of Cancer, ~23.5°N). In December, it reaches its furthest south (the Tropic of Capricorn, ~23.5°S). After each solstice, the Sun appears to “turn around” and head back toward the equator.

The celestial equator and the ecliptic are tilted relative to each other by 23.5° — that’s Earth’s axial tilt. These two imaginary planes (Earth’s equator projected into space and its orbital path around the Sun) intersect and diverge in meaningful ways that define the four key seasonal points of the year:

🌐 The Four Solar Milestones:

• March Equinox → Northward crossing: The Sun crosses the celestial equator heading north
  → Marks the start of spring in the Northern Hemisphere and autumn in the Southern.

• June Solstice → The Sun reaches its northernmost point in the sky, directly above the Tropic of Cancer (23.5°N)
  → Marks the start of summer in the Northern Hemisphere and winter in the Southern.

• September Equinox → Southward crossing: The Sun crosses the celestial equator heading south
  → Marks the start of autumn in the Northern Hemisphere and spring in the Southern.

• December Solstice → The Sun reaches its southernmost point in the sky, directly above the Tropic of Capricorn (23.5°S)
  → Marks the start of winter in the Northern Hemisphere and summer in the Southern.

These four points — two equinoxes (where the planes intersect) and two solstices (where the Sun is at maximum separation from the celestial equator) — define the rhythm of Earth’s seasons. The solstices represent the extreme edges of the Sun’s annual path, while the equinoxes are the balance points in between.

Solstice = Point + Event + Day

• Point → The position on the ecliptic where the Sun is at maximum declination (23.5°S in December, 23.5°N in June).
• Event → The moment the Sun’s center arrives at that point (in 2025, that moment is 15:03 UTC on Dec 21).
• Day → The date on our calendar that marks this event (commonly called the solstice).

We use the center of the Sun for the precise definition of the solstice moment. The Sun isn’t a point – it’s a disk about 0.5° wide. Its upper edge appears above the horizon a few minutes before the center, and its lower edge disappears a few minutes after the center sets. By using the Sun’s center, everyone on Earth can agree on the exact time of the solstice event.

(Fun fact: the December solstice can fall on Dec 20, 21, 22, or 23 depending on the year, due to leap years and the fact that Earth’s orbit isn’t a neat 365 days. In 2025, it’s on the 21st for most time zones.)

☀️ Viewing the Sky from Earth at the December Solstice 👀

The one rule that always holds true: everything rises in the east and sets in the west (except near the poles, where directions get… weird). This happens because Earth spins eastward. But how things move through your sky — especially the Sun’s arc — depends on your location and the time of year.

The December solstice brings very different Sun paths to each hemisphere.

👉 Face the equator. Then look up.

This is the simplest way to understand where the Sun goes:

• In the Northern Hemisphere, face south (toward the equator).
  The Sun takes a low, short arc across the southern sky — it barely climbs, and shadows are long all day.

• In the Southern Hemisphere, face north (also toward the equator).
  The Sun climbs high, and its arc is long and bright. In the tropics, it might even be directly overhead at noon.

👉 At the Equator? Look up and slightly south.

You’re in a sweet spot. On the December solstice:

• The Sun rises just south of due east, climbs to about 66.5° altitude at noon, and sets just south of due west.

• Shadows point north all day.

• After the solstice, the Sun will begin shifting back northward, on its journey toward the March equinox.

🌐 Bonus tip: If you’re tracking the Sun’s position across the seasons, the December solstice marks the southernmost point in its yearly swing. It’s the lowest noonday Sun of the year in the north, and the highest in the south.

🌙 What About the Moon?

The Moon’s path closely follows the ecliptic — the same tilted plane that defines the Sun’s apparent journey across our sky. That means:

• In the Northern Hemisphere, the Moon travels mostly through the southern sky.

• In the Southern Hemisphere, it sweeps across the northern sky.

• Near the Equator, it alternates north and south, depending on the lunar phase and month.

During the December solstice season, this effect becomes extra dramatic:

• Around full Moon, the Moon rises opposite the Sun — so when the Sun is low in the north, the full Moon climbs high in the south (and vice versa).

• For observers in the Northern Hemisphere, the December full Moon takes a very high path across the sky — the highest of the year.

• For those in the Southern Hemisphere, it’s the lowest full Moon of the year.

That’s because the full Moon in December lies near the ecliptic’s northernmost point — opposite the Sun’s southernmost spot at solstice.

🌌 What About the Planets?

• Mercury and Venus — the inner planets — are always near the Sun in the sky. So when the Sun is low and south, they appear low in the sky too, hugging the horizon before sunrise or after sunset.

• Outer planets — like Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn — also follow the ecliptic. Depending on the year, they appear north or south of the celestial equator, shifting with the seasons.

🌟 In December 2025:

• Jupiter dominates the night sky — bright and high up in the evening sky.

• Saturn is fading into twilight after its opposition earlier in the fall.

• Venus is a brilliant morning star before sunrise.

• And bonus: the Moon pairs up with Jupiter in a gorgeous conjunction on December 7!

👉 No matter where you live, you can see all the bright planets — but whether you look north or south depends on your latitude and the time of year.

📅 For the December 2025 Solstice, The Sun…

• Is highest in the sky at the South Pole

• Is overhead at solar noon at the Tropic of Capricorn (~23.5° S)

• Is lowest (or absent) at the North Pole

To describe where the Sun is, we use Azimuth = compass direction (0° = north, 90° = east, 180° = south, 270° = west), and Altitude = angle above the horizon.

❄️ At the South Pole

The Sun reaches its highest point in the sky all year: ~23.5° above the horizon.

• It has been continuously above the horizon since rising around the September Equinox.

• From late September to late December, the Sun spirals higher each day.

• On December 21, 2025, it reaches solar noon — the peak of its 6-month arc.

• After this date, it begins spiraling downward each 24-hour loop.

• The next sunset at the South Pole will be at the March 2026 equinox.

• 🌞 It traces a full circle around the horizon each day, never setting.

• Sunrise & sunset times at the South Pole

☀️ At the Tropic of Capricorn (~23.5° S)

This is the only day the Sun is directly overhead at noon here.

• On December 21, the subsolar point is exactly at this latitude.

• The Sun rises nearly straight up from the southeast (~120° azimuth) and sets in the southwest (~240° azimuth).

• At solar noon, the Sun reaches 90° altitude — straight overhead.

• After the solstice, the subsolar point begins drifting northward again.

• Places just north or south of the tropic will see a small but noticeable change in Sun height over the next weeks.

🌍 At the Equator (0° latitude)

Not quite “equal” day and night, but still close!

• The Sun does not reach overhead at noon — it peaks around 66.5° altitude, since it’s far south of the equator.

• The Sun rises south of due east (~113° azimuth) and sets south of due west (~247° azimuth).

• Shadows point northward all day long (in contrast to equinoxes, when they vanish at noon).

• Day length is still ~12 hours, but slightly more than night due to atmospheric refraction.

• After the solstice, the Sun starts shifting back northward toward the equator.

• Sunrise & sunset times in Quito, Ecuador

🌌 At the North Pole

The Sun is completely below the horizon, about 23.5° beneath it at “solar noon.”

• The Pole is in polar night — it hasn’t seen sunlight since the September equinox.

• Around the solstice, the sky is at its darkest of the year.

• However, it’s not pitch black all day: there’s a band of civil twilight (or nautical twilight) around noon depending on how far below the horizon the Sun is.

• The Sun will begin to slowly rise again after the solstice, culminating in sunrise at the March 2026 equinox.

• Sunrise & sunset times at the North Pole

CREDIT: Click on each video to view details from YouTube

🌞 The Longest “High Noon” on Earth 🌞

While equinoxes feature the longest sunrises and sunsets (because the Sun is skimming sideways along the horizon), the solstices bring something different — especially at the Poles:

• Instead of a slow rising or setting Sun, you get a Sun that circles the horizon, rising neither higher nor lower for days.

• The December solstice is the “peak noon” at the South Pole, the day the Sun reaches its maximum altitude of about 23.5° above the horizon.

• But here’s the catch: it barely moves vertically, and loops horizontally for weeks. The Sun’s apparent position at the Pole is so stable that for several days it appears to “pause” at that altitude — the origin of the word solstice (“Sun stands still”).

🌀 What’s Going On at the South Pole?

• The Sun rises at the September equinox, then spirals slowly higher each day.

• By December 21, it reaches its maximum height — ~23.5° above the horizon — at solar noon.

• Over the next days, it doesn’t change much. For nearly a week, the Sun loops around at about the same altitude, seeming to “stand still.”

• Afterward, it begins spiraling downward toward sunset at the March equinox.

This slow change is due to the tilted geometry of Earth’s axis. At the solstice, the Sun’s apparent path changes direction — not abruptly, but gradually — producing a lingering “high noon” effect, where for several days, the Sun appears stuck in place.

🌌 And at the North Pole?

• Total darkness. But not completely the same every day.

• Around the solstice, the Sun is at its deepest point below the horizon — about 23.5°.

• It stays at that low angle for several days.

• Just as with the South Pole’s Sun “pause” at its highest point, the North Pole’s solar depression angle also “pauses.”

• There’s a gradual change: the twilight gets fractionally brighter each day after the solstice — the hint that the Sun is preparing to return.

❄️ So, No Multi-Day Sunrise or Sunset?

Not at solstice. Unlike equinoxes — when the Sun is skimming across the horizon, causing drawn-out transitions — the solstice is a moment of solar reversal:

• At the equinox, the Sun is rising or setting at the poles, producing the longest transitions (about 4+ days).

• At the solstice, the Sun is at maximum or minimum elevation, and not crossing the horizon.

• So there’s no sunrise or sunset — just a pause in the Sun’s path.

But the similar concept is the “pause” itself:

• Equinox → Long transition across the horizon

• Solstice → Long pause at the extreme point (peak height or deepest night)

🌟 Summary

CREDIT: Click on each video to view details from YouTube

🌍 Other Places on Earth at the December Solstice

At the Poles, you get the full spectacle — a Sun that either circles endlessly above the horizon (South Pole) or never rises (North Pole).

Everywhere else, you only see part of the Sun’s looping path — the daily arc it traces across your local sky. During the solstice, that arc is either at its lowest (in the Northern Hemisphere) or highest (in the Southern Hemisphere) for the year.

• In the Northern Hemisphere, the Sun follows a low, shallow arc across the sky. Days are short, and even at solar noon the Sun seems to “hug” the southern horizon.

• In the Southern Hemisphere, the Sun’s path is high and long, and midday brings brilliant overhead light — especially in the tropics.

The direction of sunrise and sunset shifts, too:

At most times of year, the Sun doesn’t rise exactly due east or set exactly due west. Instead, its rising and setting points drift north or south depending on the season.

• On the December solstice, the Sun rises farthest southeast and sets farthest southwest for observers in both hemispheres.

• This is the most extreme offset of the year — it’s the southernmost sunrise/sunset azimuth.

Here’s how it plays out:

• The farther north you are, the lower the Sun’s arc — and the more extreme the southeast/southwest angle of sunrise and sunset.

• The farther south you are (toward the Tropic of Capricorn), the higher the Sun climbs — and it may even be directly overhead at noon!

☀️ Want to see how your location compares?
Check out TimeandDate.com for local sunrise, sunset, and Sun path data. You can see how the Sun’s daily arc shifts with the seasons — and how the solstice brings its most dramatic swing of the year.

🌍 Daylight Change Around the December Solstice

📍 Click on the location name for the exact timing!

☀️ How Much Sunlight Do the Seasons Bring?

• Poles → “All in”: months of uninterrupted day or night

• High latitudes → Rapid light change, extreme seasonal contrast

• Mid-latitudes → Noticeable shifts in sunrise/sunset and day length

• Tropics & Equator → Little seasonal change, days hover around 12 hours year-round

🌟 5 Seasonal Sky Facts

1. The December Solstice is the start of a new season

It marks Day 1 of astronomical winter in the Northern Hemisphere and astronomical summer in the Southern Hemisphere[17]. Cultures worldwide recognize this turning point of the Sun – for example, the winter solstice has long been celebrated as the “return of the light” in the north.

2. Earth is near its closest to the Sun

Surprise – Earth is only about two weeks from perihelion, its closest approach to the Sun (happening on January 4, 2026)[1]. That’s right: the Northern Hemisphere’s cold winter occurs when we’re actually closer to our star. It’s a powerful reminder that Earth’s tilt – not distance – causes the seasons.

3. The latest sunrise and earliest sunset don’t happen on the solstice

If you’re looking for the very earliest sunset or latest sunrise of the year, they occur a week or two around the solstice, not on that exact date[4]. This is due to the slight wobble in solar time caused by Earth’s tilt and elliptical orbit. For mid-northern latitudes, the earliest sunsets occur in early December, while the latest sunrises come in early January[4]. (In the Southern Hemisphere, the timing is similarly offset around the June solstice.)

4. Astronomical vs. Meteorological winter

Astronomers define winter by the solstice-to-equinox cycle (Dec 21 to Mar 20, in the north). Meteorologists, however, define winter as Dec 1 through Feb 28 for simplicity and record-keeping[18]. So if you hear “first day of winter,” it could mean different things – the scientific (astronomical) start at solstice, or the start of the coldest months on the calendar.

5. It’s a global moment

No matter where you live, the solstice is happening for everyone at the same instant – connecting the whole planet in one celestial event. Of course, its effects differ: while northerners light winter lanterns, southerners hit the beach. But it’s two sides of the same coin. The Sun’s energy that is low and fleeting up north is high and abundant down south. The solstice reminds us that Earth is a tilted sphere sharing one big orbit – one hemisphere’s night is the other’s day.

🌟 Sky Highlights Around the Solstice

Geminid Meteor Shower — December 13–14, 2025

The Geminids are a holiday treat for skywatchers. In 2025, the Geminid meteor shower peaks on the nights of Dec 13–14 under moonless skies[7]. Under ideal conditions, you might catch 100+ “shooting stars” per hour streaking from the constellation Gemini. Bundle up (in the north!) or grab a lawn chair (in the south) and look up anytime after 9 or 10 pm local time. The meteors are debris from an odd asteroid (3200 Phaethon) and tend to be bright and colorful. Fun tip: Jupiter will be the brightest “star” in the late-night sky this year[19] – use it as a guide; the Geminids will appear to fan out near that part of the sky.

Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS — Closest on December 19, 2025

This December brings a rare visitor from beyond our solar system: Comet 3I/ATLAS. Discovered in mid-2025, it’s only the third known interstellar object (after ‘Oumuamua and Borisov). On Dec 19, 2025, it makes its closest approach to Earth[20][21] – still a very distant ~170 million miles – but close enough for astronomers to study. While not visible to the naked eye, telescopes have been tracking 3I/ATLAS as it streaks through our solar neighborhood[9][22]. NASA and observatories worldwide are seizing this opportunity to learn about its composition before it heads back into interstellar space. Even if we can’t see it easily, just knowing an alien comet is zipping by adds a dash of cosmic wonder to this solstice season!

Moon–Jupiter Conjunction — December 7, 2025

Keep an eye on the evening of Dec 7 when the brilliant planet Jupiter cozies up next to the Moon in the sky. The waxing gibbous Moon and Jupiter will make a striking pair after sunset, appearing only a couple of degrees apart. Jupiter is at its brightest this time of year (on its way to opposition in early January 2026[23]), so it gleams like an ultra-bright star. This conjunction is a beautiful “meet-up” of our sky’s king planet and queen Moon – a great prelude to the solstice. If you have binoculars, you might even glimpse some of Jupiter’s moons. Don’t miss this easy-to-spot spectacle in the southwest sky after dusk on Dec 7.

🍁🌸 Season’s Greetings from the Sun

The December solstice reminds us that our tilted Earth dances with the Sun to create seasons: deep winter, cold, long nights in the north, and bright summer warmth and long days in the south. Cultures worldwide gather to mark this special turning point – celebrating light in the darkness or the zenith of the sun’s power. Wherever you are, take a moment to appreciate the unique sky of your season. The Sun has begun its slow turn – northern days will start getting longer, while southern days will get shorter. The cycle continues, connecting us all under one Sun.

CREDITS: NASA, NOAA, EarthSky, TimeandDate.com, and owners of videos that have been embedded – please click on them for full details.