shortest day of the year

The Shortest Day of the Year – and the Maya Apocalypse!

Posted by Andrew Gardner on

Why are the days getting shorter? Why is it getting cold in some places and not in others? Why are there seasons? Here in the Northern Hemisphere, December 21st is the shortest day of the year and the first official day of winter! Starting tomorrow our days begin getting longer and there is a common misconception that it’s the midpoint of winter! Not so, but it can be hard to explain why to students, so check out the Solstice and Equinox topic page to explain the reason we’re not at mid-winter, and answer many other questions that come up around this short, but not coldest, day!

On another timely note, are your students talking about the Maya apocalypse? Help them clarify misconceptions by checking out the Maya Civilization page.  We’ve made it free for the next few days in light of the recent apocalyptic speculation!

Have a great weekend!