Spring was about to flourish; and the spring equinox, the official start of the season in the northern hemisphere, will occur on Tuesday, March 19th.
The spring equinox for the year 2024 will happen at exactly 11:06 PM Eastern Time on Tuesday. But why does this day represent the beginning of spring and why only in the northern hemisphere?
What is the equinox?
There are only two equinoxes in a year: the spring and autumnal equinoxes. They happen when the sun stands directly above us at noon, resulting in a nearly even split between day and night over the course of a day. The word “equinox” itself is derived from the Latin words “aequus” and “nox,” meaning equal night.
It usually falls on March 19th, 20th, or 21st. It is rare for the spring equinox to occur on March 21st, according to the farmers’ calendar. There hasn’t been one in the continental United States throughout the entire 21st century, and there won’t be one until 2101.
The date varies slightly because the Earth orbits the sun in 365.24 days, while the calendar year is 365 days, according to the National Centers for Environmental Information.
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Can you explain the variance between the spring equinox and meteorological spring?
While the spring equinox for 2024 falls on March 19th, meteorological spring begins at the start of the month. NASA explains that there are two distinct categories of seasons: meteorological and astronomical.
Meteorological seasons are linked to the calendar and rely on the annual temperature cycle. Meteorological seasons neatly organize themselves into clusters spanning three months each. Meteorological spring lasts from March 1st to May 31st each year.
Astronomical seasons are based on the tilt of the Earth’s axis and the Earth’s position during its orbit around the sun.
When does spring start in the southern hemisphere?
In the southern hemisphere, spring begins in September, while autumn begins in the northern hemisphere.
The March equinox will bring later sunrises, earlier sunsets, cold winds, and fallen dry leaves in the southern hemisphere. The opposite is true in the northern hemisphere, where the equinox on Tuesday will lead to earlier sunrises, later sunsets, gentler winds, and plant buds.
Rituals, traditions, and myths
Although Easter will not come until the end of March, there is an egg-related tradition associated with the equinox. According to Weather.gov, the Chinese tradition believes that an egg can be balanced on its end at the exact moment when winter ends and spring begins. However, it is technically possible to balance an egg on its end on any day of the year, as long as you have a great deal of patience.
The celebration of Nowruz, the Iranian or Persian New Year, is associated with the spring equinox. For more than three millennia, people across the Balkans, the Black Sea basin, the Caucasus, Central Asia, the Middle East, and various other corners of the world have cherished this tradition, as highlighted by the United Nations.
When is the next solstice and equinox?
Those who have been impatient for the beginning of summer must wait for the summer solstice on Thursday, June 20th. The autumnal equinox, marking the start of autumn, will be on Sunday, September 22nd. This year’s winter solstice falls on Saturday, December 22nd.