Winter solstice: The astronomy of Christmas
Friday, December 21, 2018 - 09:20
in Astronomy & Space
From the Neolithic to present times, the amount of sunlight we see in a day has had a profound impact on human culture. We are fast approaching the winter solstice for the Northern hemisphere, which takes place on December 21. This is the longest night of the year – once celebrated as "Yule" by the pagan people of Northern Europe before it became Christmas.