Sunrise rays glisten as they reflect off surface of the water at Katara's beach front, with a lone bird encased in the sun's warm glow gliding across the frame. (Photo by Marivie Alabanza / The Peninsula)
Doha: Winter officially begins in Qatar and the Northern Hemisphere, as today, December 22, winter solstice occurs in the country, which is the beginning of winter astronomically, announced the Qatar Meteorology Department (QMD).
In a post on X, QMD stated that winter solstice marks the end of autumn and the beginning of winter astronomically. This happen every year because of the 23.5° tilt of the Earth's rotational axis when orbiting around the sun where the sun become perpendicular to the Tropic of Capricorn.
Qatar and the rest of the northern hemisphere are now witnessing the shortest day of the year and longest night of the year. Because of time zone differences, Europe, Africa and Asia mark their winter solstice on Friday, December 22.
"Winter Solstice is an astronomical phenomenon that takes place this year on Friday 22 December 2023, which marks the shortest day and longest night of the year in Northern hemisphere with no sunrise or sunset at the Arctic circle," said QMD.
The situation is the reverse in the Southern hemisphere, where only about 10% of the world’s population lives.
