Spring Equinox – Vernal Equinox

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)

Vernal Equinox – Southern Hemisphere

(Australia, New Zealand, South America, southern Africa)

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.

Topics: Astronomy, Seasons, March, September, Sun, Equinox