When NASA's $10 billion James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) rode safely to space on an Ariane 5 booster from Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, the liftoff at 7:20 A.M. EST on Dec. 25, 2021, ...

The 2021 winter solstice occurred at 10:59 a.m. ET/7:59 a.m. PT on Tuesday, Dec. 21, marking the official start of the astronomical winter and the shortest day of the year for the Northern Hemisphere.