Winter solstice

High school (ages 12+)
Environment & Earth

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/winter-solstice

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the ancient alignments?Monuments like Stonehenge are aligned with solstice sunrise/sunset, indicating ancient astronomical observation
2. When does the winter solstice happen?In the Northern Hemisphere it falls around December 21 or 22, while in the Southern Hemisphere it is around June 20 or 21.
3. Why is the winter solstice called the longest night?Because the Sun’s path across the sky is at its lowest point, the daylight is shortest and the night is longest.

Hibernal Solstice: An alternative, more formal name for the winter solstice.
Axial Tilt: The angle between a celestial body's rotational axis and its orbital plane.
Oblique Angle: An angle that is not a right angle (90 degrees) or a straight angle (180 degrees).