Winter this year will begin on Wednesday, December 22, 39 minutes after midnight in the northern hemisphere, Belgrade Astronomical Society "Rudjer Boskovic" released in a statement.

At the same time summer will start in the southern hemisphere.

The Sun will rise at 7.13 a.m. and set at 4 p.m., which means that the day will last 8 hours and 47 minutes, and the night 15 hours and 13 minutes.

The Earth will be closest to the Sun on January 3, 2011 in 8 p.m., the statement said.