the.com/autumn equinox
The one day Earth stops playing favorites and gives both hemispheres equal light.
means The moment in autumn when the sun sits directly over the equator and day and night split roughly evenly across the globe.
from 'Equinox' comes from Latin aequus (equal) plus nox (night) — literally 'equal night,' the day length and dark length balance out. 'Autumn' traces to Latin autumnus, whose own roots are murky — possibly linked to an older word for the season's turning or harvest, though the Romans themselves weren't certain. The term has stayed in plain scientific use for centuries, needing no embellishment since the astronomy itself is already poetic.
- timing
- Around September 22-23 in the Northern Hemisphere
- meaning
- Sun crosses the celestial equator heading south
- daylight
- Day and night split almost exactly 12-12
- etymology
- Equinox means equal night in Latin