On December 21 at 15:03 UTC, the Sun will shine directly overhead at the Tropic of Capricorn. This marks the December Solstice—the moment the Northern Hemisphere tilts farthest away from our star, giving us the shortest day and the longest night of the year.
This happens because Earth is tilted by about 23.5° on its axis. As our planet orbits the Sun, that tilt—not our distance—creates the seasons. During the December Solstice, sunlight falls most directly on the Southern Hemisphere, officially beginning winter in the north and summer in the south.
And this year, the sky has something special planned.
The 2025 December Solstice aligns almost perfectly with a New Moon and the peak of the Ursid Meteor Shower. With the Moon completely absent from the night sky, darkness will be at its purest—creating ideal conditions to spot the Ursids, slow and delicate shooting stars radiating from near the Little Dipper.
A longer night. A darker sky. And cosmic fireworks overhead.