Darkness falls on shortest day of the year

THE darkest day of the year is here, meaning brighter days are ahead.

- BY DANNY DE VAAL

POWER Sunrise on winter solstice still enthralls many people ANCIENT Revellers at Newgrange on winter solstice

Tomorrow is the shortest day of the year north of the equator, where the solstice marks the start of astronomical winter.

It's the opposite in the Southern Hemisphere, where it is the longest day of the year and summer will start.

The word "solstice" comes from the Latin words "sol" for sun and "stitium" which can mean "pause" or "stop".

The solstice is an end of the sun's annual march higher or lower in the sky. The winter solstice is when the sun makes its shortest, lowest arc.

The good news for sun lovers: It then starts climbing again and days will get a little longer every day until late June.