Fall is officially here with the arrival of the autumnal equinox. Here are five things to know,
Fall runs from Sept. 1 to Nov. 30 for meteorologists, but for traditionalists who still use the sun to tell time, the season is finally here with the arrival of the autumnal equinox. Here are five things to know:
1. What is it?
During the autumnal equinox, the sun shines directly on the equator, and the northern and southern hemispheres get the same amount of rays. Clouds notwithstanding, Austin will get about 12 hours and 8 minutes of daylight.
2. What does equinox mean?
The Earth spins on a tilted axis, but it’s not inclined toward or away from the sun at the equinox, which is derived from the Latin words for equal (aequus) and night (nox). But nights will get longer and days will grow shorter until the winter solstice.
3. Why is it important?
For ancient societies, the autumnal and vernal (or spring) equinoxes marked the end of summer and winter, respectively, and helped people track time-sensitive activity, such as when to plant crops.
4. Didn’t fall start?
It might feel as if it has. Austin has had an unusually wet and cool start to fall.
5. Forecasters’ fall started Sept. 1.
Meteorologists prefer a calendar in which the seasons start on the same days every year because it can provide consistency in record-keeping, among other reasons. But the Earth, sun and stars don’t quite conform to the Gregorian calendar — thus the autumnal equinox doesn’t fall on the same day every year. It’s Sept. 23 next year.