The December solstice in 2024 falls on December 21 and marks the sun's southernmost point in the sky this year at 9:21 UTC.
For the Northern Hemisphere, it will be the longest night and shortest day of the year and for the Southern Hemisphere, it'll be the shortest and longest day of the year.
After the December solstice, the sun will start moving northward in the sky again.
This solstice is caused by the tilt of Earth's axis and orbital motion around the sun and it's the same reason that causes winter and summer.
On December solstice day, the sun takes its farthest pass south on the globe.
The key is in what is called true solar noon, the time of day that the sun reaches its highest point in its journey across your sky.
All of the Earth's creatures are affected by the length of daylight brought by the sun.
People built monuments such as Stonehenge in England and Machu Picchu in Peru to follow the sun's yearly progress.
Happy Solstice!
It's important to celebrate the seasonal changes no matter where you live on Earth's globe.