What is March Equinox? Date, time, meaning and all you need to know about the first day of spring
As Earth revolves around the Sun, there are two times in each year when the Sun is exactly above the equator. These moments are called equinoxes and they occur around March 20 or 21 and September 22 or 23. Equinox stands for "equal night" as the length of day and night is nearly equal in all parts of the world on this day.
What is a March Equinox?
The March equinox happens when the Northern Hemisphere starts to turn toward the Sun, leading to longer, sunnier days. In the Northern Hemisphere, the March equinox is called the spring or vernal equinox, because it indicates the beginning of season ('vernal' means fresh or new like the spring). When the Northern Hemisphere begins to lean toward the Sun in spring, the Southern Hemisphere starts to tilt away from the Sun, indicating the start of autumn. Thus, in the Southern Hemisphere, the March equinox is called the autumnal equinox, and the September equinox is called the spring equinox.
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During the equinox, Earth's axis is slanted at an angle of about 23.4° in relation to the ecliptic plane, the hypothetical plane formed by the Earth's path around the Sun. On any other day of the year, either the Southern Hemisphere or the Northern Hemisphere shifts a little towards the Sun. But on the two equinoxes, the tilt of the Earth's axis is perpendicular to the Sun's rays, as shown in the illustration.
When will it take place?
March Equinox 2021 will happen on Saturday, March 20, 2021, at 3.07 pm.
What will happen during March Equinox?
Conventional wisdom suggests that on the equinox, everybody on Earth gets to experience a day and night of equal lengths – 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of night time. In fact, the name equinox is derived from the Latin words aequus, meaning equal, and nox, meaning night.
March Equinox marks the first day of spring
Scientists and astronomers in the Northern Hemisphere, use the March equinox as the start of spring, which ends on the June solstice when astronomical summer begins. For meteorologists, on the other hand, spring in the Northern Hemisphere begins three weeks before the March equinox on March 1 and ends on May 31.