Winter solstice and the winter night sky

December 17, 2025

Posted by Lake Erie Nature and Science Center

For those willing to brave a little cold air, our winter skies can be the clearest of the year – ideal for stargazing. One particular day holds a very special place on our astronomical calendar.

The Winter Solstice

With all our snow and ice, it certainly feels like winter is already in full swing. However, the official first day of winter in the northern hemisphere is marked by the winter solstice on Sunday, December 21, 2025. Since it has the fewest hours of sunlight compared to the rest of the year, the winter solstice is considered the ‘shortest day’ of the year. And while we often think of the solstice as a full day on the calendar, it’s actually just a moment.

Due to Earth’s tilt on its axis, winter solstice is the exact moment – at 10:03 a.m. on Sunday, December 21, 2025 – when half of Earth is pointed away from the sun and the other half is pointed towards it. (Conversely, summer solstice occurs when our half of Earth is pointed toward the sun.) That tilt and Earth’s rotational timing also means that the Sun’s path across the sky is as low as it can be.
A very simple way to witness the physical effects of the winter solstice is to go outside at noon on December 21 and look at your shadow. That’s the longest shadow you’ll cast all year! (Conversely, your shadow at noon on summer solstice will be almost non-existent.)

For those who are lamenting winter a bit, you might appreciate the winter solstice as the moment when our days officially start getting longer – meaning we will experience more time between sunrise and sunset from this day forward.

Visit Lake Erie Nature and Science Center on Friday, December 19 at 6:00 p.m. for our Winter Solstice Celebration! Take a lantern-lit night hike through the winter woods, meet some of our animal ambassadors and learn how they adapt to the changing seasons, and see the best stars of the year in Schuele Planetarium. Weather permitting, telescope viewing will be available as well.
To learn more about the event and book your tickets, please visit www.lensc.org

Winter also offers more than just the solstice. Take advantage of our clearer skies and longer nights to check out some of these constellations and planets as well.

Orion

One of the biggest and brightest constellations in the night sky is Orion the Hunter. First, look southeast for 3 equally bright stars in a straight line which form “Orion’s belt”. Serving as his right shoulder is the supergiant star Betelgeuse which shines brightly with a reddish tint. At Orion’s left foot lies the slightly brighter star, Rigel. Hanging below the center star in Orion’s belt is his sword which features the Orion Nebula, or Messier 42. Visible as a dim fuzzy object to the naked eye, this nebula appears as a large gas cloud when viewed with binoculars or a small telescope.

Evening Planets

Look southwest around 8:00 p.m. for the planet Saturn, just below the Pegasus constellation. Saturn’s rings are often more prominent than those of other gas planets because they’re largely made up of ice, which reflects sunlight better than rock and dust. Jupiter will also be fairly visible as it shines in the Gemini constellation. Details of both Saturn and Jupiter can be seen with small telescopes and large binoculars. Because of their proximity to the sun this winter, Mercury, Venus, and Mars may be more difficult to distinguish.

To learn more about all of these planets and the latest space missions, visit our state-of-the-art Planetarium at Lake Erie Nature & Science Center. The nonprofit Lake Erie Nature & Science Center offers planetarium programs for all ages. Free general admission to live animal exhibits and natural history displays is offered daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. 28728 Wolf Road, Bay Village, OH 44140.