With December almost over and summer feeling a lifetime ago, we are just about used to the long dark nights and dark mornings by now.
And with the weather being especially wintery recent days and weeks, people are choosing to stay indoors to avoid getting cold.
However despite the cold and wintery conditions, winter has actually only just began. There is actually an exact date when winter officially kicks in but it changes each year as it all depends on how much light we get.
READ MORE: BBC One and Two Christmas TV schedule for 2022's festive season - full list
This year's winter solstice is today - December 21- with a rare Christmas star set to be visible during the longest night of the year. Here's what you need to know...
When does winter start and end in the UK 2022?
This year winter begins today - Wednesday December 21, 2022. The Met Office have said that it means this winter period will end on March 20, 2023. Next year this date falls on a Monday.
The forecasters explain: "The astronomical calendar determines the seasons due to the 23.5 degrees of tilt of the Earth's rotational axis in relation to its orbit around the Sun. Both Equinoxes and Solstices are related to the Earth's orbit around the Sun. However, the dates of the Equinox and Solstice aren't fixed due to the Earth's elliptical orbit of the Sun."
According to the Met Office, upcoming years, the dates for astronomical winter will be:
| Year | Winter Starts | Winter Ends |
|---|---|---|
| Winter 2022 | Wednesday, 21 December 2022 | Monday, 20 March 2023 |
| Winter 2023 | Friday, 22 December 2023 | Wednesday, 20 March 2024 |
| Winter 2024 | Saturday, 21 December 2024 | Thursday, 20 March 2025 |
| Winter 2025 | Sunday, 21 December 2025 | Friday, 20 March 2026 |
What is the Winter Solstice?
The winter solstice is the shortest day of the year. It is also the longest and occurs when Earth's axis of rotation is tilted around 23.4 degrees relative to Earth's orbit around the sun, according to the National Geographic.
They explain: "This tilt drives our planet's seasons, as the Northern and Southern Hemispheres get unequal amounts of sunlight over the course of a year. From March to September, the Northern Hemisphere is tilted more toward the sun, driving its spring and summer. From September to March, the Northern Hemisphere is tilted away, so it feels like autumn and winter. The Southern Hemisphere's seasons are reversed.
"On two moments each year—what are called solstices—Earth's axis is tilted most closely toward the sun. The hemisphere tilted most toward our home star sees its longest day, while the hemisphere tilted away from the sun sees its longest night. During the Northern Hemisphere’s summer solstice—which always falls around June 21—the Southern Hemisphere gets its winter solstice. Likewise, during the Northern Hemisphere's winter solstice—which always falls around December 22—the Southern Hemisphere gets its summer solstice."
When is the shortest day of the year?
Today, December 21, is the shortest day of the year. Today doesn't just mark the shortest day of the year however as if you look up, you may spot meteors shooting through the skies on the longest night of the year.
The annual Ursid meteor shower is a celestial display which could see up to 10 meteors an hour during its peak if conditions are right.
Royal Museums Greenwich (RMG), which makes up some of the UK's leading space exploration institutions, has said that the shower will peak on December 22 and 23. However it will be visible slightly earlier from the 17th until Boxing Day on the 26th.
When and how can I see the Ursid meteor shower?
You'll be glad to know that you do not need any equipment to see the shower as the streaks of lights can be seen with the naked eye. NASA say that the bright streak that we see as a "shooting star" is actually "glowing hot air" as a space rock "zips through the atmosphere."
The RMG describes the annual shower as: "Meteors are debris that enters our planet’s atmosphere at speeds of up to 70 kilometres per second, vaporising and causing the streaks of light we call meteors."
To see the meteor shower they say: "For the best conditions, you want to find a safe location away from street lights and other sources of light pollution. The meteors can be seen in all parts of the sky, so it’s good to be in a wide open space where you can scan the night sky with your eyes."
It's always worth checking the weather forecast in your areas to see what conditions will be like.
Are you going to be staying up to catch the meteor shower? Let us know in the comments.
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