The autumnal equinox starts the fall season. It occurs on September 22 or 23 each year. The “fall” is my favorite time of the year. The crisp cool air and brilliant colors of the leaves urges me outside with camera in hand. This season is called “fall” because leaves turn colors and “fall” from the trees.
The Two Equinoxes
There are two equinoxes a year. One in spring and the other in autumn.The spring (or vernal) equinox happens on March 19, 20, or 21.
The seasons are reversed in the northern and southern hemispheres of the planet. When the northern hemisphere experiences autumn, the southern hemisphere is experiencing spring.
On the equinoxes, the sun is directly above the Earth’s equator. Day and night are of equal length all over the planet. The world receives twelve hours of daylight and twelve hours of darkness. The term equinox comes from the Latin and means “equal night”.
Equinoxes and the Seasons
The equinoxes signal that changes in length of daylight, temperature, and weather are about to happen.
The seasons are caused by the changing position of the Earth in relation to the Sun. The Earth receives different amounts of sunlight during the year due to the tilt of the Earth.
The Earth is like a spinning gyroscope and always points in the same general direction. The Earth is tilted on a 23.5° degree angle and the sun shines on the planet in a particular way. The north pole is generally tilted toward the north star and the south pole tilts toward the constellation of Octans.
Autumn: Cooler Days and Short Nights
The nights begin to cool around August 15th, as the northern region of Earth tilts away from the direct rays of the Sun. The air and ground begin to cool.
It takes a few weeks for the weather to change after the beginning of a new season. During autumn, there are alternating warm and cool days and cooler nights for several weeks.
The Autumnal Equinox begins the cold months. During the colder months, the North Pole is at its greatest tilt away from the sun. The northern hemisphere has colder temperatures, short days and long nights.
On the day of the Autumnal Equinox, the Sun is positioned directly over the equator. After this day, the northern hemisphere begins to tilts away from the sun. The weather becomes colder and the hours of daylight become shorter. This culminates in the shortest day and the longest night of the year, the Winter Solstice on December 22 or 23. Then the days grow longer until the Summer Solstice.
The Circle of Life continues.
Autumn in the Natural World
Autumn in the Natural World makes complex processes easy to understand, to the wonders of the autumn season. In easy to understand language the essential natural processes of the changing colors of leaves, why trees shed leaves, and how a pond can still freeze and still support life are explained. Learn the key star constellation which signals the end of summer and the growing season. Learn why the moon’s of autumn loom so large in the night sky.
Available in pdf and paperback starting at $5.99
More on the Seasons
Seasons: Earth’s Natural Rhythms Explained
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