The last event along the yearly path of Earth around the sun is the winter solstice. At this point, the Earth's north pole is tilted furthest away from the sun and the light rays in the Northern Hemisphere are at their lowest intensity.

The winter solstice marks the first day of winter in the Northern Hemisphere and is the shortest day of the year there. It occurs around December 21.

The first day of winter in the Northern Hemisphere is the first day of summer in the Southern Hemisphere.