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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 4, 2024 · An equinox occurs when the Earth’s equator aligns with the Sun, making the Sun appear directly overhead at the equator. On the equinox, the Sun rises due east at the equator, and sets due west. This alignment results in nearly equal daylight and darkness across the globe.
- 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...
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 March equinox – aka the vernal equinox – marks the sun’s crossing above Earth’s equator, moving from south to north. Earth’s tilt on its axis is what causes this northward shift of the...
Oct 19, 2023 · Only during an equinox is Earth's 23.5° axis not tilting toward or away from the sun: the perceived center of the Sun’s disk is in the same plane as the Equator. Before and after the equinox, the subsolar point migrates north or south.
Mar 23, 2008 · Equinox means equal night and with the sun on the celestial equator, Earth dwellers will experience nearly 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of darkness. The equinox is an astronomical event that marks the first day of autumn in the northern hemisphere and spring in the south.
