winter solstice

The last full moon of the year coincided with two rare astronomical events that thrilled stargazers and photographers worldwide.

The latest Google Doodle shows a hedgehog walking through a snowy scene. This is to mark the astronomical beginning of winter in the Northern Hemisphere.

People have been celebrating solstices at the famous prehistoric site in southwestern England for thousands of years.

The winter solstice marks the start of astronomical winter and is the shortest day of the year for the northern hemisphere.

On the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year, Earth's northern hemisphere will be at its maximum tilt away from the sun.

This year's December solstice will coincide with the bright planets forming what has been dubbed a "Christmas star."

Saturn and Jupiter will be at their closest for 400 years on December 21.

In a year that has been filled with far too many dark days, the world has some unique ways to celebrate the return of the sun on Winter Solstice.

According to the "Farmer's Almanac," the word "solstice" stems from the Latin words "sol," meaning "sun," and "sistere," which means "to stand still."

The summer and winter solstices held a special significance for the people who built Stonehenge around 4,500 years ago.

Great conjunctions of Jupiter and Saturn are rare, occurring once every two decades or so.

The December solstice marks the beginning of astronomical winter in the Northern Hemisphere.

For some, the shortest day of the year is depressing. For others, it's a reason to celebrate.

Though Christmas remains the most commonly celebrated winter holiday across the United States, the Winter Solstice, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa all add to the season's spirit of joy and festivity.

The full moon in December has traditionally been referred to as the "Full Cold Moon" or the "Long Nights Moon."

English Heritage shares videos from the event.

The moon is considered "full" when it is positioned exactly opposite to the sun, or 180 degrees away, with Earth aligned directly between the two bodies.

As the U.S. and the rest of the Northern Hemisphere mark the summer solstice, Australia, Antarctica and others are in the middle of winter.

Astrologers believe December 21 will be the worst day of this year.

The darkest night of the year is almost upon us.

Winter is coming; here's when.

The full corn moon peaked in the early hours of the morning—the last before the autumn equinox.