In recent days, the mountains of Durango, Nuevo León, Chihuahua or Sonora have been stained white. The temperatures are getting colder and colder and this, like every year around this time, announces the arrival of a new season.
In Mexico, winter solstice will take place this Tuesday December 21. According to the National Institute of Astrophysics, Optics and Electronics (INAOE) will occur concretely at 09:59, Central Mexico time; Then the coldest time of the year will begin, both in the Republic and in the rest of the countries located in the northern hemisphere.
With the December solstice there is the shortest day of the year and the longest night. The phenomenon occurs because the Earth’s axis is tilted with respect to the Sun: our planet is in an inclined position and therefore, the star reaches a lower height on the horizon.
“On the December solstice, the Sun reaches its southernmost position in the sky, no matter where we are on Earth. In the northern hemisphere, the star travels its lowest and shortest path that day. That is why in the north there is the shortest day of the year, in terms of hours of sunlight, “said NASA.
This season 2021-2022, winter will last three months, until Saturday, March 20, 2022, the day the Spring Equinox will take place. The lowest temperatures are at this time of year, but this does not happen immediately after the solstice.
“The meteorological winter in the northern hemisphere always occurs in the months of December, January and February, because they are usually the coldest months of the year. It is based on the annual temperature cycle, not on an astronomical basis ”, explained Greg Hammer of the National Centers for Environmental Information of the United States, to National Geographic. “Basically, it takes time for the water and the land to cool down after all the heat they have absorbed during summer. Therefore, the minimum of daylight is not followed by cooler temperatures until almost a month later, ”he added.
While the winter solstice occurs in the northern part of the Earth, in the southern hemisphere it begins summer. The explanation is similar, but in reverse. Due to the inclination of our planet, the northern regions are closer to the Sun, receive greater exposure to the rays of our star and the longest day of the year occurs.
“[El evento] It happens because the Earth’s axis of rotation is inclined about 23.5 degrees with respect to the plane of its orbit ”, explained the INAOE. “When the winter solstice happens, the longest night of the year and the shortest day are experienced for the northern hemisphere, and exactly the opposite happens for the southern hemisphere. That is to say, it begins its summer with long days and short nights ”.
Astronomical events coming in winter
After the winter solstice, on December 21, we can see interesting astronomical events. Some of the most prominent are meteor showers, such as the Ursids and Quadrantids, various asteroids, and some planetary conjunctions.
December
– December 22th: maximum of the Ursid meteor shower. They will leave about 10 meteors per hour.
– December 29: the open cluster NGC 2244 and the Rosetta Nebula they will be well located for observation.
– December 31: closest approach between the moon and mars. They will pass only 55 ′.
January
– January 2: the open cluster NGC 2264 it will be well located for observation.
– January 3: maximum of the Quadrantid Meteor Shower. They will leave 120 meteors per hour.
– January 4: conjunction of the Moon and Mercury.
– January 4: conjunction of the Moon and Saturn.
– January 6th: conjunction of the Moon and Jupiter.
– January the 8th: the open cluster M41 It will be well placed for observation most of the night.
– January 9th: Crescent Moon.
– January 11: the open cluster M44 it will be well positioned for observation, in the direction of the constellation Cancer.
– January 13th: Asteroid 7 Iris It will be observable most of the night.
– January 17: Full moon.
– January 25: the open cluster CMa It will be well located for observation, in the direction of the constellation of Can Mayor.
– January 29: conjunction of the Moon and Mars.
– January 31: the open cluster M47 (NGC 2422) will be well placed for observation most of the night.
– January 31: conjunction of the Moon and Mercury.
February:
-February 1st: New Moon.
– February 2: galaxy M81 (Bode Galaxy) will be well positioned for observation most of the night, in the direction of the constellation Ursa Major, to the northeast of the celestial sphere.
– February 2: conjunction of the Moon and Jupiter.
– February 5th: the asteroid 20 Massalia It will be observable most of the night towards the northeast of the celestial sphere.
– February 7th: maximum approach of the Moon and Uranus.
– February 8th: maximum of the Centaurid Meteor Shower. They will leave at least six meteors per hour.
– February 9: Crescent Moon.
– February 9: Venus reaches its maximum brightness.
– February 12: Conjunction of Mercury and Pluto, in the direction of the constellation Sagittarius.
– February 13th: Conjunction of Venus and Mars.
– February 16th: Full moon.
– 23 of February: Last Quarter Moon.
– February 24th: the galaxy M106 It will be well located for observation most of the night, in the direction of the constellation Los Perros de Caza.
– February 27: Conjunction of the Moon and Venus.
– February 27: Conjunction of the Moon and Mars.
– February 28th: Conjunction of the Moon and Mercury.
– February 28th: Conjunction of the Moon and Saturn.
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