Fall Equinox Facts (What You Want To Know Wednesdays)

September 22, 2017 is the Autumnal Equinox, also known as the September Equinox. This special day represents the astronomical start of fall in the Northern Hemisphere and spring in the Southern Hemisphere. From this day forward leaves begin to change color and fall, pumpkins begin to grow, baseball season winds down, football season is beginning, and the Hallow-days are right around the corner.  However, best of all? The scorching heat begins to make its way out of here, paving the way for sweater and hot chocolate ( or pumpkin spice latte ) weather! The weather cools down because the Northern hemisphere is less exposed to the sun’s rays. Grab your blanket and a delicious warm beverage and enjoy some fun facts about the Autumnal Equinox.

  • The term, “equinox” means “equal night.”

  • Although, the name implies that the days and nights will be exactly equal – they can be off by minutes.

  • The equinox is not an all-day event, it happens the moment the sun crosses the celestial equator.

  • Days will now be shorter until winter solstice – the shortest day of the year.

  • The Equinox is celebrated all around the world.

  • Equinoxes are a prime time to see the Northern Lights.

  • Rarely, the equinox will fall on September 21st or 24th.

  • The sun will rise and set EXACTLY in the east and west – perfect enough to set your trusty sun dial.

  • It is rumored that you can stand an egg on one end due to changes in gravity. However, it is more likely due to the texture of the eggshell.

  • When days become shorter, animals in high latitude areas experience biological changes.

  • In Greek mythology, the September equinox represents the return of the goddess Persephone to the underworld.

  • Those in the southern hemisphere refer to the equinox as the “Vernal Equinox.”

  • While the equinox is occurring, the earth is not tilted towards or away from the sun as it usually is and it will occur at the same time all around the world.

Treehugger.com // almanac.com // patch.com // softschools.com


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