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Sep 27, 2024 · equinox, either of the two moments in the year when the Sun is exactly above the Equator and day and night are of equal length; also, either of the two points in the sky where the ecliptic (the Sun’s annual pathway) and the celestial equator intersect.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
A solar equinox is a moment in time when the Sun crosses the Earth's equator, which is to say, appears directly above the equator, rather than north or south of the equator. On the day of the equinox, the Sun appears to rise "due east" and set "due west". This occurs twice each year, around 20 March and 23 September. [a]
Sep 4, 2024 · The equinox marks a significant astronomical event that occurs twice a year, signaling a moment of balance between day and night across the globe. It is when Earth’s tilt perfectly aligns with its orbit around the Sun, creating nearly equal lengths of day and night.
Oct 19, 2023 · As its name suggests, an equinox indicates equally illuminated hemispheres, with the solar terminator equally dividing Earth from north to south. (The solar terminator is the shadowed line indicating daylight and sunlight on a globe.) A true equinox would indicate 12 hours of both day and night.
- The Equinoxes
- The Solstices
- Equinoxes and Solstices on Other Planets
There are only two moments each year when neither pole points toward the Sun, and the Sun lies directly above Earth’s equator. These moments are the equinoxes. The March equinox happens sometime between March 19 and 21. The September equinoxoccurs sometime between September 21 and 24. In the Northern Hemisphere, the March equinox is also known as t...
The farthest points from the equator where the Sun can appear directly overhead are referred to as the tropics. The tropics are lines of latitudethat circle the Earth above and below the equator, at about 23.4 degrees north and south. This angle is set by Earth’s axial tilt. There are two moments each year when one of Earth’s poles is tilted the mo...
Every planet in the solar system, apart from Mercury, is tilted on its axis of rotation. This means each planet has its own equinoxes and solstices. Venus and Jupiter have small axial tilts of 2.6* and 3.1 degrees, respectively. Venus orbits the Sun more quickly than Earth—in Earth time, an equinox or solstice happens on Venus every couple of month...
Mar 19, 2022 · Equinox: Definition, facts & when the next equinox begins. Equinoxes occur twice a year, with night and day being almost the exact same length. The next equinox is the March equinox, beginning on...
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Sep 23, 2015 · The equinox is being celebrated around the world - heralding autumn in the northern hemisphere and spring in the south. What is an equinox and how does it work, asks Justin Parkinson.
