The shortest day of the year is fast approaching with the winter solstice falling this weekend.
Marking the point when the sun is at its lowest point in the sky, the winter solstice ushers in the official start of winter in the northern hemisphere.
Thousands descend on Stonehenge each year to celebrate the winter solstice, which is the day in the year with the fewest daylight hours.
But just when is the winter solstice? Here's all you need to know.
What is the winter solstice?
The winter solstice is the day in the year with the fewest daylight hours, but once it has passed the days start to become longer.
It marks the beginning of winter as this is when the Northern Hemisphere is tilted the furthest away from the sun, meaning short days, long nights and cold temperatures.
During the winter solstice, which is also known as Midwinter, the sun shines over the Tropic of Capricorn at its most southern point.
However in the southern hemisphere the December solstice is known as the summer solstice, and marks the longest day of the year and warm temperatures.
When is the winter solstice in 2019?
This year the winter solstice falls on Sunday, December 22 and will give us just under eight hours of daylight.
On Sunday the sun is set to rise at 8.04am and set at 3.53pm, meaning we will have around eight hours less sunlight than we did during the longest day of the year when the sun rose at 4.43am and set at 9.21pm.
How do we celebrate the winter solstice?
Historically, people gather at Stonehenge each year to celebrate the winter solstice as the day marks the "re-birth" of the sun for the new year on the Pagan calendar.
Stonehenge is said to align with the winter solstice's sunset and the summer solstice's sunrise, and people head to the ancient monument to watch the sun rise on both the longest day of the year and the shortest.
