Friday winter solstice means days will start getting longer Plus other astronomical phenomena this week

FILE -- Clouds leave a soft track on a long exposure image of the night sky outside Mt. Rainier National Park on Aug. 13, 2016. FILE -- Clouds leave a soft track on a long exposure image of the night sky outside Mt. Rainier National Park on Aug. 13, 2016. Photo: GRANT HINDSLEY, SEATTLEPI.COM Photo: GRANT HINDSLEY, SEATTLEPI.COM Image 1 of / 38 Caption Close Friday winter solstice means days will start getting longer 1 / 38 Back to Gallery

It's all uphill from here.

Friday marked 2018's winter solstice, the shortest day of the year. Though Seattleites will only have 8 hours, 25 minutes and 27 seconds of daylight according to the National Weather Service, it also means days will start getting longer.

The solstice also marks the official beginning of the winter season, which will begin at 2:23 p.m.

Seasons are caused by the Earth being tilted on its rotational axis around the sun. Summer occurs in the hemisphere tilted toward the sun, and winter occurs in the hemisphere tilted away from the sun. The northern hemisphere is currently tilted away from the sun, hence we experience winter.

The winter solstice isn't the only astronomical phenomenon happening this week. Saturday's sky will be home to the last full moon of the year at 9:49 a.m., according to EarthSky. The last time a full moon fell within a day of the solstice was in 2010, and the next time won't be until 2029.

The full moon occurs when it is on the opposite side of the sun. This positioning will also bring king tides to Western Washington starting Dec. 25.

RELATED: King tides due in Seattle on Christmas day

Stargazers should also look up on Saturday and Sunday nights as the annual Ursids Meteor Shower peaks Dec. 22-23. In Seattle, up to 10 meteors per hour should be visible if weather conditions allow it.

REAL-TIME WEATHER: Check current conditions here

Now that it's officially winter, each day will grow longer until Friday, June 21, 2019, which is the next summer solstice, or longest day of the year. That day will have 15 hours, 59 minutes and 16 seconds of daylight.

Producer Natalie Guevara can be contacted at natalie.guevara@seattlepi.com.