Which one of the following statements with regard to the winter solsti

Which one of the following statements with regard to the winter solstice is correct?

The South Pole experiences 24 hours of darkness.
It occurs on June 21.
The North Pole experiences 24 hours of darkness.
The Sun is at aphelion.
This question was previously asked in
UPSC CDS-1 – 2017
The winter solstice in a hemisphere occurs when that hemisphere is tilted farthest away from the Sun. For the Northern Hemisphere, this happens around December 21st or 22nd. For the Southern Hemisphere, this happens around June 20th or 21st. Unless specified, questions about “winter solstice” often implicitly refer to the Northern Hemisphere winter solstice.
– Statement A: The South Pole experiences 24 hours of darkness. During the Northern Hemisphere winter solstice (around Dec 21/22), the South Pole is tilted towards the Sun and experiences 24 hours of daylight. This statement is incorrect.
– Statement B: It occurs on June 21. June 21 is the summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere and the winter solstice in the Southern Hemisphere. Assuming the question refers to the Northern Hemisphere winter solstice, this statement is incorrect.
– Statement C: The North Pole experiences 24 hours of darkness. During the Northern Hemisphere winter solstice (around Dec 21/22), the North Pole is tilted away from the Sun, resulting in the Sun not rising above the horizon for 24 hours (polar night). This statement is correct.
– Statement D: The Sun is at aphelion. Aphelion is the point in Earth’s orbit when it is farthest from the Sun, which occurs around July 4th. Solstices are determined by Earth’s axial tilt relative to its orbit, not its distance from the Sun. This statement is incorrect.
The tilt of Earth’s axis (approximately 23.5 degrees) causes the seasons. Solstices mark the points in Earth’s orbit where the tilt is maximum towards or away from the Sun, leading to the longest and shortest days of the year outside the tropics.
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