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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 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
- 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...
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.
Jun 21, 2023 · What is an equinox? Equinoxes occur when the Earth's axis is neither tilted away from nor towards the Sun, resulting in equal day and night lengths worldwide. There are two equinoxes each year: the vernal (spring) equinox and the autumnal equinox.
A solstice occurs at the two points in Earth’s orbit when our globe is at its maximum tilt either towards or away from the Sun. Equinoxes happen at the two points of the orbit when the Sun appears directly over the equator. The solstices and equinoxes divide the year into four parts: spring, summer, autumn and winter.
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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.
