Pagans celebrate the Winter Solstice in 2014. Photo: Steven Siewert
The sun will set in Perth at 5.20pm on Tuesday, marking the shortest day of the year - an astronomical phenomenon known as the Winter Solstice.
The southern hemisphere will experience less than 10 hours of sunlight and 14 hours of night on June 21 when the sun is at its furthest point from the equator.
To put it into perceptive, the day is four hours and 11 minutes shorter than Perth's longest day, summer solstice, on December 21.
From Wednesday, Perth's days will gradually become longer and the nights shorter, marking the turning point between winter and summer.
Perth Observatory spokesman Matt Woods said the phenomenon has ancient significance for many, and is still observed by some today, including pagans who celebrate their connection to Earth through Yule.
"Traditionally, more in the northern hemisphere, farmers would use the astronomical event to know when they would need to sow their crops and monitor their food reserves leading up to winter," he said.
Here comes the longest night of the year. The June solstice occurs at 22:34 UTC (Tue 08:34 AEST). Image CSU/CIRA pic.twitter.com/Ut1eYnhlMq
— Andrew Miskelly (@andrewmiskelly) June 20, 2016
In Hobart, the day marks the Dark MOFO nude swim where hundreds brave the icy cold weather for a ocean dip.
Hundreds brave chilly early-morning waters to mark the winter solstice with a skinny dip... (Vine by @abcnews) https://t.co/6szyrYisiH
— Sandra Sully (@Sandra_Sully) June 21, 2016
But while it's the shortest day with the least number of daylight hours, the time of sunrise will continue to get later in the day after the solstice, according to Geoscience Australia.
Wednesday's sunrise will occur at 7.17am in Perth.
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