Spring Equinox – Vernal Equinox
The Vernal (Spring) Equinox in the Northern Hemisphere is the Autumnal (Fall) Equinox in the Southern Hemisphere and vice versa.
Equinoxes and solstices happen twice a year.
Not Entirely Equal Day & Night
On the equinoxes the Sun shines directly on the equator and the length of day and night is nearly equal – but not quite.
The March equinox marks the moment the Sun crosses the celestial equator – the imaginary line in the sky above the Earth’s equator – from south to north and vice versa in September.
When is the Equinox in my City?
Vernal Equinox – Northern Hemisphere
(USA, Central America, Canada, Europe, Asia, northern Africa)
March Equinox in Washington DC, District of Columbia, USA is on
Sunday, March 20, 2022 at 11:33 am EDT (Change city)
- Sunrise, sunset and day length around March Equinox 2022
- Countdown to March Equinox 2022 in Washington DC, District of Columbia, USA
March Equinox in Universal Coordinated Time is on
Sunday, March 20, 2022 at 15:33 UTC
Vernal Equinox – Southern Hemisphere
(Australia, New Zealand, South America, southern Africa)
September Equinox in Washington DC, District of Columbia, USA is on
Wednesday, September 22, 2021 at 3:21 pm EDT (Change city)
- Sunrise, sunset and day length around September Equinox 2021
- Countdown to September Equinox 2021 in Washington DC, District of Columbia, USA
September Equinox in Universal Coordinated Time is on
Wednesday, September 22, 2021 at 19:21 UTC
First Day of Spring?
In the Northern Hemisphere, the Vernal (Spring) Equinox marks the first day of astronomical spring. There's also another, more common definition of when the seasons start, namely meteorological definitions, which are based on average temperatures rather that astronomical events.