Dec 21 Will Mark the Shortest Day and Longest Night

Dec 19, 2025 - This Sunday (December 21), an important astronomical event will be observed. Owing to the Sun’s transition from dakshinayan (southern movement) to uttarayana (northern movement), this day will be the shortest day of the year and the longest night. In the Northern Hemisphere December 21 is known as the date of the Winter Solstice while in the Southern Hemisphere it is the Summer Solstice.

In the capital city of Jaipur, the duration of the day will be 10 hours, 18 minutes and 18 seconds, while the night will last 13 hours, 41 minutes and 42 seconds. This means there will be a difference of 3 hours, 23 minutes and 24 seconds between day and night.

On the same night at 8:33 pm, the Sun will move from Sidereal Sagittarius (Sayana Dhanu) to Sidereal Capricorn (Sayana Makar). After this transition, from December 25 onwards, days will gradually become longer and nights shorter.

In astronomical terms, solstice is a Latin word that means “the Sun standing still.” As the Earth rotates on its axis, on December 21 the Sun reaches its maximum distance from the Earth in the southern hemisphere. Because of this, the day becomes the shortest of the year, and the night is the longest on this date.

This date also has a cultural significance in Indian traditions marking the start of Uttarayana which is considered an auspicious period for inner reflection.

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