Winter is well and truly here, and it seems as though as soon as it arrives, it’s on its way out. Tomorrow (Saturday, June 21), we’ll experience the winter solstice: the shortest day of the year, meaning Sydney's days will soon start getting longer. Just a few weeks left on the downhill slope, then it’s back on a one-track road to summertown (kind of).
What is Sydney's winter solstice?
Caused by the Earth’s annual orbit around the sun, the winter solstice is the shortest day and longest night of the year – occurring in Australia when the South Pole has its maximum tilt away from the sun. This astronomical event happens on the very same day every year – though on opposite times of year for the two different hemispheres. As Australians experience the shortest day of the year, our friends in the Northern Hemisphere celebrate their summer solstice with the longest day of the year, and vice versa.
What causes Sydney's winter solstice?
The solstice is caused by the tilt of the Earth’s axis in relation to the sun. During the winter solstice in the Southern Hemisphere, the tilt is such that the sun follows its lowest and shortest path through the sky, resulting in the least amount of daylight and the longest night of the year.
When is the winter solstice in Australia?
The winter solstice in Australia falls on June 21 every year – this year, it’s falling on Saturday, June 21.
What does the solstice mean?
As well as being something of a turning point on the calendar of sunshine-seekers, the solstice has cultural significance for many – with festivals held across the world on these landmark days. After the winter solstice, days begin to lengthen as the Earth continues its annual orbit around the sun – taking us to the equinox (when the hours of sunlight and darkness are equal, occurring in late September and late March every year) and then the summer solstice (the summer solstice in Australia falls on December 21).
Keen to make the most of the longest night of the year? Book in for a tour of Sydney Observatory – where you can stare into the night sky through their super high-spec telescopes.
What to do in Sydney on the winter solstice
Want to mark the occasion? We hear you. To make the shortest days a little easier, Wunderlich Lane's luxe, Lorde-approved spa The Parlour Room is offering a dreamy two-hour winter treatment combining massage, magnesium-infused balms, aromatherapy and gentle meditation to settle the nervous system for the colder season – and Time Out readers can score 10 per cent off with the code SLEEP10. Across the bridge, harbourside hotel and eatery Q Station is celebrating winter the Scandi way – with oceanside saunas, cold plunges and mulled wine. Plus, beloved Manly café Noon is hosting a morning party soundtracked by vinyl DJ Johnny the Ladd and fuelled by ALTR functional drinks. You'll find a heap of other ways to celebrate winter over here.
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