the.com/vernal equinox
The one day Earth stops playing favorites between hemispheres and splits daylight evenly.
means The point in spring when the sun crosses the celestial equator, giving the whole planet roughly equal day and night.
from From Latin 'vernalis' (of spring), rooted in 'ver' (spring), plus 'equinoxium' — a fusion of 'aequus' (equal) and 'nox' (night). Ancient skywatchers noticed this was the day night and day tied, and gave it a name that just states the fact plainly: equal night.
- actual meaning
- Sun crosses the equator heading north
- not exactly equal
- day is slightly longer than night that day
- timing
- falls around march 20, not fixed to a date
- etymology
- vernal comes from latin ver, meaning spring