Despite the recent resurgence of the winter weather, I can feel how close spring is. Here, in New Mexico, the roadrunners are gambling, the budding trees and I mask lettuce seeds in my raised garden beds. So mark your calendar for March 20: the Vernal equinox signals the astronomical beginning of spring in the northern hemisphere.
Although the equinoxes cannot draw the same attention as the solstices, they are a good way to observe the seasons that move. Let us make known the Vernal equinox, which that is and why it happens.
What is the spring equinox?
You have undoubtedly noticed the lengthening of daylight when winter ends (especially since the savings of the day has already started). The Vernal equinox marks the tilting point in longer days.
The word “equinox” comes from Latin words for equality and night. Daylight and night are almost equal during the equinox. We experience two each year – the Vernal equinox in the spring and the fall equinox in the fall. The word “vernal” is traced in Latin and refers to the spring.
Widen the image
This graph of the National Weather Service shows the inclination of the earth, how it orbits the sun and when the equinoxes and the solstices occur in the northern hemisphere.
The earth turns on an axis (think about it as a line from pole to pole) with an inclination of 23.5 degrees. Certain parts of the planet become more direct than others. This is how we get our seasons and how it can be summer in the northern hemisphere while it is winter in the southern hemisphere.
“The spring equinox is when the northern hemisphere passes from the tip of the sun (during the winter) to be pointed at the sun (during the summer),” said Emily Rice, associate professor of astrophysics at Macaulay Honors College of the University of the City of New York. “The inclination is aligned with the orbit of the earth for a moment.” It is at this point that we obtain almost equal amounts of day and night light.
When does the Vernal equinox occur?
Spring Equinox has a specific time, at 2:01 pm PT on March 20. No need to adjust an alarm. You can celebrate the equinox all day on March 20.
How are equinoxes different from the solstices?
Solstices are the extremes of days and nights. The summer solstice is the longest day while the winter solstice is the shortest. The summer solstice for the northern hemisphere strikes on June 20, while the winter solstice occurs on December 21 of this year.
Solstices get more love than equinoxes.
“The extremes are easier to mark and visualize than the inflection points, which are more subtle changes, so the solstices attract all the attention,” explains Rice. All are linked to the sun and the inclination of the earth, so think of the solstices and the equinoxes like brothers and sisters who each have their own seasonal connection.
What the equinox of space looks like
It can be difficult to visualize the inclination of the earth and what happens during the equinox from the ground, so NASA has set up a video showing the earth as seen by a satellite.
He follows our planet during his seasons. Look how night and daylight move over time.
How you can celebrate the spring equinox
You may have heard that the only day you can balance a raw egg by its side is on the equinox. This legend could be accompanied by waving points of discussion on the gravity and alignment of the earth and the sun.
I balanced this egg on its side one day that was not the equinox.
One of Rice’s annual duties is to demystify the myth of egg balancing.
“Astronomers are generally on the internet by telling people that no, they cannot balance an egg in its end only on an equinox,” she said. You can go ahead and try it, but be sure to test it one day that is not the equinox. I removed it on February 27, in case you ask yourself the question.
The equinox is a subtle phenomenon. There are no celestial events seeing to mark the day. Don’t let this dissuade you. The Vernal equinox is what you do with it.
“Since the earth’s orbit has no start or end, a year could really be started at any time, and the equinox is more significant than January 1,” said Rice.
You can find your own way to celebrate the opportunity. Tell your friends and colleagues that it is the beginning of astronomical spring. Plant seeds. Clean your home. Spend time outside. Make spring holiday plans. And take a moment to grill the sun, the inclination of the earth and our place in the space that brings us the vernal equinox.
