December solstice
21 December 2026, 21:00 local time in every city. This is the December solstice, the longest night in the north and the shortest in the south.
The sky at that moment, city by city
| City | Local time | Sky | Moon | Above the horizon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York | 21 Dec, 21:00 | Dark sky | up (72°) | 3,151 stars; Sirius, Capella, Rigel |
| Los Angeles | 21 Dec, 21:00 | Dark sky | up (76°) | 3,148 stars; Sirius, Capella, Rigel |
| Mexico City | 21 Dec, 21:00 | Dark sky | up (68°) | 3,175 stars; Sirius, Capella, Rigel |
| Sao Paulo | 21 Dec, 21:00 | Dark sky | up (39°) | 3,341 stars; Sirius, Canopus, Capella |
| London | 21 Dec, 21:00 | Dark sky | up (63°) | 3,112 stars; Sirius, Vega, Capella |
| Paris | 21 Dec, 21:00 | Dark sky | up (61°) | 3,114 stars; Vega, Capella, Rigel |
| Cairo | 21 Dec, 21:00 | Dark sky | up (82°) | 3,150 stars; Sirius, Capella, Rigel |
| Mumbai | 21 Dec, 21:00 | Dark sky | up (74°) | 3,169 stars; Sirius, Capella, Rigel |
| Tokyo | 21 Dec, 21:00 | Dark sky | up (78°) | 3,146 stars; Sirius, Capella, Rigel |
| Sydney | 21 Dec, 21:00 | Twilight | up (30°) | —; Sirius, Canopus, Rigel |
Computed from the HYG star catalogue and the Sun and Moon positions for each city's exact coordinates, not copied from a table. Fully dark then in New York, Los Angeles, Mexico City, Sao Paulo, London, Paris, Cairo, Mumbai, Tokyo.
Keep this night on your wall
A Firmament poster is the sky of this exact moment over the place you choose — stars, constellation figures, Moon phase — as a print-ready vector A3 PDF, in your inbox a minute after paying 4.99 USD.
Make the December solstice poster — free preview
Other sky events
Orionid meteor shower · Leonid meteor shower · Geminid meteor shower · Quadrantid meteor shower · Annular solar eclipse of 6 February 2027 · March equinox · Lyrid meteor shower · Eta Aquariid meteor shower · June solstice 2027 · Total solar eclipse of 2 August 2027 · Perseid meteor shower · September equinox 2027 · Geminid meteor shower 2027 · Annular solar eclipse of 26 January 2028 · Total solar eclipse of 22 July 2028 · All events