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LiveScience
LiveScience
Charles Q. Choi

Why isn't the darkest time of the year also the coldest?

Earth Live Science Northern Hemisphere Sun
A man stands in a beautiful winter landscape with trees covered in snow.

The darkest time of the year is the winter solstice, the day with the least sunlight and the longest night. However, the coldest time of the year is typically about one month after the winter solstice. So why isn't the darkest time of the year also the coldest?

The answer has to do with Earth's tilt and how our planet retains heat.

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