What Is The Fall Equinox?
In mid-September each year, we greet the fall season with the arrival of the fall equinox (otherwise known as the autumnal equinox). This is the moment when the Sun crosses the Equator, and those of us living in the Northern Hemisphere will begin to see more darkness than daylight. Regardless of whether it has been chilly for weeks or there are still balmy summer-like temperatures, this is the start of astronomical fall. (This is different from “meteorological fall,” which begins on September 1st.)
At this point, the Earth’s tilt is moving away from its maximum lean toward the Sun. Its rays are aiming directly at the equator.
The autumnal (fall) equinox marks the turning point when darkness begins to win out over daylight. Essentially, our hours of daylight—the period of time each day between sunrise and sunset—have been growing slightly shorter each day since the summer solstice in June, which is the longest day of the year (at least in terms of daylight). Then, for the next three months, our hours of daylight will continue to grow shorter.
At the autumnal equinox, day and night are approximately equal in length. The name equinox comes from the Latin word aequus, meaning equal, and nox, meaning night. An equinox occurs twice a year (autumnal and vernal, or fall and spring).
Fun fact: Ancient astronomical texts suggest that the Sun aligned with the zodiac constellation Libra during the fall equinox. The “scales” represented a balance of day and night.
Changes Are Coming
Everywhere you look, you can see the visible changes as nature prepares for winter: birds are flying south, temperatures are getting cooler, leaves are changing colors, and animals’ coats are thickening, to name a few. But most significant is the change in daylight.
In mid-December, we will experience the winter solstice, which will mark the shortest day of the year in terms of hours of daylight.
After the winter solstice, the days will begin to grow longer again. It will take another three months until the vernal equinox (also called the spring equinox) for the periods of daylight and darkness to reach equilibrium once again.
From the vernal equinox, the days will continue to grow longer, until we reach the summer solstice again, and the whole cycle begins anew!
What’s in store for fall? See our official forecast!
Ways You Can Celebrate the Autumnal Equinox
You can always take a trip to Stonehenge or Chichén Itzá to watch the sunrise on the equinox, but if you’d rather stay closer to home, there are plenty of other ways to recognize this solar event. Watch the sunrise from your own backyard, or take a cue from other cultures by making mooncakes or visiting the graves of loved ones.
- Host a harvest potluck and have all your gardening friends bring something fresh from their backyards.
- Practice meditation or do yoga at sunrise to mark the occasion and get a fresh start for the day.
- Clean your home—but don’t approach it like a chore! Do the job mindfully, with the idea that you’re restoring balance, order, and peace to your living spaces ahead of winter.
- Go for a walk and reconnect with nature.
- Go foraging! During the early fall weeks, you’re bound to find wild berries, flowers to pick, cattails, interesting greenery, and whatever else you might want to eat or use to decorate your home.
Whatever you do for the equinox, it can be as simple or as elaborate as you’d like. Many relish the small, simple acts, such as taking a moment to reflect on the summer gone by—a nice way to mark the change of seasons, too.
Autumn Weather Lore
There are many weather lore sayings for the autumn season. Have you heard any of these?
A pleasant autumn and a mild winter will cause the leaves to fall next September.
As the wind and weather is at the time of the equinox, so will be the wind and weather generally during the following three months.
