Winter solstice arrives this Thursday

AMMAN — Thursday, December 22, marks the winter solstice, astronomer Imad Mujahed said on Tuesday. The winter solstice will start at 3:48am on Thursday, Mujahed said, as reported by the Jordan News Agency, Petra. On that day, the sun in Amman will rise at 7:26am and set at 5:43pm, marking the shortest day of the year at 10 hours and seven minutes, and the longest night of the year at 13 hours and 53 minutes. Following the first day of winter, days will start to become longer and nights shorter, until they become equal again on March 21, which marks the spring equinox in the northern hemisphere. In Jordan, the winter solstice coincides with the start of marbaniyeh, the local name given to the 40 coldest days of winter.