Researchers in the Antarctic have taken a dip into a sub-zero pool to mark the winter solstice as Australians prepare to celebrate the shortest day of the year on Tuesday.
The winter solstice marks the middle of winter when the shortest day and longest night occurs. It will occur at 8.14pm AEST on Tuesday evening.
How much sunlight people will get depends on latitude.
Residents of Darwin will enjoy about 11 and a half hours of daylight compared to the nine hours and 53 minutes for Sydneysiders and roughly nine hours for those living in Hobart.
Even farther south, researchers at Mawson station in the Antarctic will not see a sunrise until 29 June.
As Australians prepare to celebrate the milestone, forecasts are promising a frigid evening for many parts of the country.
Temperatures are predicted to vary from a maximum of 19C overnight in Cairns, compared to a frosty 5C in Tasmanian and -1C in Canberra.
Sydney is expected to get down to 9C and Melbourne 7C.
In Tasmania, those attending Dark Mofo in Hobart will mark the moment with the Nude Solstice Swim at Long beach in Sandy Bay.
Thousands will strip off and enter the water at 7.42am – the moment the sun rises.
Last year the water temperature was about 13C.
More than 90 antarctic researchers overwintering at Casey, Davies, Mawson and Macquarie Island will also hold their own celebrations.
Those at Mawson station will take their own dip into a sub-zero swimming pool carved out of the ice at Horseshoe Harbour.
Station leader Rebecca Jeffcoat said celebrating the solstice was a “tradition in the Antarctic calendar” and the swim a “rite of passage” but “once is definitely enough”.
“It’s madness, it’s ridiculous, but it’s what we do here in Antarctica,” Jeffcoat said. “It was minus 19 on the ice with a wind speed of six knots, so altogether it was probably about minus 25 with the wind chill factor.”
For those looking for a way to celebrate without taking their kit off, there are lantern festivals around the country – many of which offer workshops on how to make your own.
Alternatively, aspiring stargazers can take advantage of the extra night-time hours.
Paul Curnow, astronomy lecturer at the Adelaide Planetarium at the University of South Australia, said that those looking east just before sun-up would see Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn in alignment.
The last time this occurred was in 2004 and will not occur again until 2040.
All are bright enough to be seen with the naked eye.
“When you’re looking at Mars, keep in mind there are a number of space probes orbiting that planet and on the surface,” Curnow said.
“It’s the only planet completely inhabited by robots.”
