Question

The shortest day length that occurs on Northern Hemisphere is on

  1. 1. 21st March
  2. 2. 23rd September
  3. 3. 22nd November
  4. 4. 22nd December

Answer (Detailed Solution Below)

Option 4: 22nd December

Detailed Solution

The correct answer is 22nd December.

The winter solstice marks the shortest day of the year. 

  • The Earth is tilted 23.4 degrees on its axis, so if the Earth’s pole is pointing towards or away from the Sun during the day, the arc the Sun travels through will rise and fall during the year.
  • Winter Solstice happens when one of the Earth’s poles is far away from the Sun.
  • It falls on December 21 or 22 in the Northern Hemisphere and June 20 or 21 in the Southern Hemisphere.
  • The word solstice is derived from the Latin word solstitium, where ‘sol’ means Sun and ‘stitium’ means to stop.
  • During the winter solstice, the days are the shortest. The duration of daylight will vary across countries.
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