Astronomical Event: September Equinox 2022

31 Aug 2022

September Equinox 2022

In meteorology, the Fall season begins on the 1st of September. However, the September Equinox gives us the green light to welcome the astronomical Fall season in the Northern Hemisphere. The September Equinox 2022 takes place on the 23rd of September. Learn more about this astronomical event!

What is the September Equinox?

An Equinox is an astronomical event that happens twice a year, once in spring and once in autumn. The September Equinox is the moment in time when the Sun stands directly above the equator while crossing it from the North towards the South. For the Northern Hemisphere it is the Autumn Equinox as it is the moment when Summer ends and Autumn begins. For the Southern Hemisphere it is the Vernal Equinox, the moment when Winter ends and Spring begins. The September Equinox usually occurs every year between the 21st and 24th of September.

September Equinox 2022

September Equinox 2022

The September Equinox 2022 takes place at 1:04 UTC on Friday, September 23. On this Equinox, the sun crosses above Earth’s equator, moving from north to south. For everyone across the globe, days and nights are approximately equal in length.

Facts about the Equinox

Impress your family and friends with your knowledge about the Equinox. Check out the facts below and discover even more about this astronomical event.

  1. Equinoxes are not day-long events, even though many choose to celebrate all day.
  2. The Equinox dates vary because of the difference between how the Gregorian calendar defines a year (365 days) and the time it actually takes for Earth to complete its orbit around the Sun (about 365 and ¼ days).
  3. The term equinox comes from the Latin words aequus, meaning equal. And nox, meaning night.
  4. The Full Moon closest to the September Equinox, the Harvest Moon, is astronomically special. This is because the time between one moonrise to the next becomes shorter around this period.
  5. As the September Equinox rolls by, the chances to see the aurora borealis (Northern Lights) increases for those located at high Northern Hemisphere latitudes.

In this blog, you’ve read all you need to know about the September Equinox 2022, also known as the Autumnal Equinox. This astronomical event takes place on Friday, the 23rd of September. While this astronomical event may be difficult to view, it can be used as the moment in time to celebrate the start of Autumn (or Spring depending on where you live). Enjoy the new season – whichever side of the globe you’re on!

 

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