The autumnal equinox arrives in late September and signals the start of fall in the Northern Hemisphere.
SEP. 21, 2024.- (NBC News).- Fall weather is soon going to be hitting North America (Canada, The United States, and Mexico), and just in time the official start to fall — the autumnal equinox — is just hours away.
The fall — or autumnal — equinox can land on Sept. 22 or 23 depending on the year
When is the autumnal equinox 2024?
This year, the autumnal equinox is scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 22 at 8:44 a.m. US Eastern time in the Northern Hemisphere, according to the National Weather Service.
What is the autumnal equinox?
As the Earth travels around the sun, it does so at an angle.
For most of the year, the Earth’s axis is tilted either toward or away from the sun. That means the sun’s warmth and light fall unequally on the northern and southern halves of the planet.
When the Northern Hemisphere is tilted toward the sun, that’s called the summer solstice. This marks the first day of summer in the North and the first day of winter in the South.
One hundred and eighty days later, when the Southern Hemisphere is tilted toward the sun, it is called the winter solstice. This marks the first day of winter in the North and the first day of summer in the South.
The halfway points between solstices are the autumnal and vernal equinoxes. The word equinox comes from two Latin words meaning equal and night. That’s because on the equinox, day and night last almost the same amount of time — though one may get a few extra minutes, depending on where you are on the planet. This provides approximately 12 hours of the day, followed by 12 hours of the night.
When is the winter solstice?
The winter solstice is scheduled for December 21, 2024, at 4:21 a.m. Eastern time.
With information from NBC News
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