

It falls a few days before the spring equinox and some days after the fall equinox in both hemispheres. The date when day and night are actually equal is called the equilux. In most regions, the day of the equinox is a bit longer than 12 hours. The name of the event derives from Latin and means equal night, giving the impression that both day and night are exactly 12 hours long. Our Earth is tilted as it orbits the Sun, which is the reason we have seasons on Earth.Īstronomical fall begins on the day of the equinox. In Toronto, the day of the fall equinox is just under 3 minutes shorter than the previous day in Miami, roughly 2000 kilometers or 1200 miles farther south, the difference is only about 1 minute and 30 seconds. On the shortest day of the year, the winter solstice, the day-to-day difference reaches zero.Īt the same time, locations closer to the poles experience larger day-to-day differences.

After the fall equinox, days still get shorter, but at an ever-decreasing rate. In most locations on Earth-except for tropical regions-the start of fall is accompanied by rapidly shortening days.Īt any given location, the day-to-day difference in day length is greatest around the days of the equinoxes. Meteorological and other seasons definitions Dwindling Daylight around the Fall Equinox And, in some countries, the beginning of the seasons is determined by average temperatures rather than fixed dates or astronomical events. Meteorologists use a different method of defining the first day of fall. Sun rise/set and day length around this equinox.

This corresponds to Wednesday, 20 March 2024, 03:06 UTC. In Odesa, Odessa, Ukraine: Wednesday, 20 March 2024, 05:06 EET (Change location) Business Date to Date (exclude holidays)Īutumn Equinox, Southern Hemisphere (March)Īustralia, New Zealand, South America, southern Africa.
