The winter solstice occurs on Sunday, December 21, around nightfall, when Earth’s south pole tilts most directly toward the Sun, giving the Northern Hemisphere its shortest day of the year; starting Monday, daylight increases slightly and the Sun climbs higher, bringing a hint of added warmth. The Sun rises and sets at its most extreme points along the horizon, and although often labeled the start of winter, that date is a human convention rather than a physical change. Astronomically, the solstice features the Sun’s most curved, rainbow-like path across the sky, reaching its lowest noon height of the year and producing the longest shadows.

Senators Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand announced this week $54 million included under the National Defense Authorization Act for 2026 are heading to the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station.

Researchers retrieved reef monitoring devices that had been placed in deep coral reefs in Guam. The devices were placed up to 330 feet below the surface.