The beginning of winter 2023: Today is the longest night of the year

class = “sc-cffd1e67-0 fmXrkB”>

December 22 is the winter solstice; at least in the northern hemisphere of the world. The day also marks the beginning of winter.

At exactly 4.27 pm on Friday (today), the sun will reach the southernmost point of its apparent orbit. At this point, winter begins for astronomers. We will experience the shortest day of the year on Friday. Reaching the southern turning point also marks the beginning of winter for astronomers. The sun is then once again vertically above the equator, defining for astronomers the definitive transition from winter to spring.

By the way, winter is the shortest of all seasons, at least from astronomers’ perspective. The Earth moves faster due to its proximity to the Sun. Therefore, summer lasts almost 94 days; This is almost five days longer than winter, which is almost 89 days.

What is the winter solstice?

In the Northern Hemisphere, the winter solstice falls on December 22, 2023, when the sun reaches its southernmost point on the Tropic of Capricorn. In the northern hemisphere, the sun can be seen for the shortest time on this day. On no day of the year is noon lower on the horizon. In the Northern Hemisphere, the winter solstice is usually December 21 or 22.

In an elliptical orbit

The reason for the winter and summer solstices is that the Earth is tilted 23.4 degrees along its long axis. This tilt causes the Earth to sometimes receive more light from the north and sometimes from the south as it orbits the Sun.

The equation of time is why the earliest sunset and the shortest day do not coincide with the same date. The equation of time expresses the difference between the sun’s theoretical zenith and its actual zenith. It’s about seven minutes.

Because the Earth orbits the Sun in an elliptical orbit and the Earth’s axis is tilted relative to the orbit, the sun’s daily zenith varies. Here you will find an overview of the calendar and meteorological seasons.

The weather will be like this

Rain, storm and snow: The polar vortex has been causing really unpleasant weather in Switzerland since Thursday, with a lot of wind blowing from the northwest. “Things are going really well,” says meteorologist Roger Perret about the coming days.

Perret knows the reason for the stormy winds: “We are almost in the easterly current at the edge of the polar vortex, meaning we are in the zone of strong winds at high altitudes.” It is too warm and warm for snow to fall because it blows air masses from the Atlantic northwest towards Switzerland.

At least there is a glimmer of hope in the stormy skies. The weather improves just in time for Christmas: “It will be windy in the mountains during the holidays, but the sun will also be visible.” Green, temperate holidays can be expected in the plains. The temperature is between seven and eleven degrees.

All information about the current weather in Ticker. (sda)

Source : Blick