![]() ![]() At the two equinoxes, the days and nights are of almost equal length, whereas the solstices mark the shortest (winter solstice) and longest (summer solstice) days of the year.Īt the two equinoxes, the Sun is directly above Earth’s equator. The difference between the equinoxes and solstices comes down to length. What’s the difference between a solstice and an equinox? Thanks to the effects of precession over the subsequent millennia, the First Point of Aries now lies in the neighbouring constellation Pisces, and the First Point of Libra now lies in the constellation Virgo. It is, however, a rather archaic and outdated term. For this reason, the Sun at the September equinox is sometimes referred to as entering the First Point of Libra. Diametrically opposite this on the celestial sphere is the First Point of Libra. It's so-called because when Hipparchus first observed the equinoxes back in 130 BC, this point lay in the constellation Aries. What is the First Point of Libra?Īt the spring equinox, the exact point where the Sun crosses the equator is called the ' First Point of Aries'. Total darkness at the north pole begins around the middle of November and lasts until the end of January. ![]() However, the north pole will not be in complete darkness for all this time there is a period of twilight at either end of the six months. As the Sun sets around the time of the autumnal equinox, this marks the onset of six months of darkness. At the south pole, therefore, the autumn equinox marks the end of darkness as the Sun begins to peep over the horizon. What happens at the poles?ĭuring the autumnal equinox, the north pole of the Earth begins to tilt away from the Sun, and the south pole begins to tilt towards the Sun. From our perspective, the Sun moves to be south of the equator, in the western portion of the constellation Virgo.Īt the March equinox (the spring equinox in the northern hemisphere), the Sun crosses the celestial equator again, this time going the other way, from the southern hemisphere to the northern hemisphere. The September equinox denotes the start of astronomical autumn in the northern hemisphere, and the start of spring in the southern hemisphere. The September equinox marks the start of autumn in the northern hemisphere. Taken together, 'equinox' translates as ‘equal night’. ![]() The word ‘equinox’ derives from the Latin words aequi, meaning ‘equal’, and nox, meaning ‘night’. After the autumn equinox, we start to receive more darkness and less daylight. In other words, day and night are (almost) equal in both hemispheres. It's caused by the cyclical tilt of Earth's axis, and at the equinoxes, this tilt aligns with the orbit around the Sun.Īt the equinoxes, the Sun is exactly above the equator, and both hemispheres receive (nearly) equal amounts of sunlight. What exactly happens during the autumn equinox? Put simply, the autumn equinox is when the Sun crosses the celestial equator (this being an imaginary line in the sky above Earth’s equator), going from the northern hemisphere to the southern hemisphere. For the purposes of this article, when we refer to the autumn equinox, it is from the perspective of the northern hemisphere, and we are referring to the September equinox, unless stated otherwise. When it’s the autumn equinox in the northern hemisphere, it’s the spring equinox in the southern hemisphere. The autumn equinox marks the first day of astronomical autumn, and the precise time of the autumn equinox in 2022 will be at 3:04am BST.įor the two hemispheres, the equinoxes are opposite each other. The autumn equinox 2022 in the northern hemisphere is on Friday 23 September. If you’re looking forward to clear nights this year, why not plan ahead with our full Moon UK calendarand astronomy for beginners guide? When is the autumn equinox 2022? We're halfway between the summer and winter solstices, and just a few days after the equinox we have another astronomical event to look forward to, as Jupiter reaches opposition.īut when exactly is the autumn equinox? And how does it affect the aurorae? Read on for answers to this and more.įor those who missed it, you can check out our fantastic gallery of the best Sturgeon Moon pictures from last month. Autumn equinox 2022: Everything you need to knowĪs the leaves change and the air begins to feel crisper, the autumn equinox ushers in a change of season.
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