Tuesday marks the Winter Solstice – also known as the official first day of winter, and the shortest day and longest night of the year.

The winter solstice marks the moment when the Northern Hemisphere is tilted farthest from the sun – which happens at precisely 10:59am EST when the sun’s rays pass over the Tropic of Capricorn.

The solstice can take place anytime between Dec. 20th and 23rd and marks the official start of the winter season.  It also means that the days will start getting longer from here out.