When Is Spring Equinox 2022? Why There’s An ‘Equal Night’ This Weekend And What It Means For You And Your Planet
Spring equinox occurs this weekend.
Jamie Carter
After the drama of an asteroid strike and thoughts about aliens this week here comes a far gentler celestial event. On Sunday, March 20, 2022 is “equinox” and the beginning of astronomical spring in the northern hemisphere.
The length of the day and night are roughly equal around equinox—which literally means “equal night” in Latin—but why?
What is equinox? Why does equinox happen? Why are there two equinoxes each year?
You’ll be aware of the equinox, of course, but can you explain it? Here’s everything you need to know about why equinox occurs and what it means for you and your planet.
What is the Spring equinox?
It’s the March, vernal (“of Spring”) or northward equinox. It marks the occasion of the Sun passing across the equator, moving north, to bring longer (and therefore warmer) days in the northern hemisphere and shorter (and colder) days in the southern hemisphere. However, on the day of equinox itself the length of the day and night are the same everywhere in the world.
In the northern hemisphere the March equinoxmarks the beginning of astronomical spring while in the southern hemisphere it signals the beginning of fall.
When is the first day of Spring 2022?
The March equinox is a global event. Its specific time is 15:33 UTC (Universal Time), which is 08:33 a.m. PDT, 11:33 a.m. EDT and 3.33 p.m. GMT in the U.K. (you can convert for your timezone here).
That’s officially when astronomical spring begins in the northern hemisphere and fall beings in the southern hemisphere. It lasts until the June solstice on Tuesday, June 21, 2022.
Illustration depicting how the axial tilt of the Earth determines the seasons.
getty
How does the spring equinox work?
Earth spins on an axis that is tilted by 23.5º with respect to the Sun. It’s that which causes the times of sunrises and sunsets—and the length of days and nights—to wax and wane throughout the year. The result, of course, is the seasons.
On Sunday the Earth’s axis will be perpendicular to the Sun, so both the northern and southern hemispheres get sunlight for an equal amount of time. It’s the same at the next equinox—the fall equinox on Friday, September 23, 2022.
Can I watch the Spring equinox happen?
Not exactly since the celstial equator—which the Sun crosses at equinox—isn’t an actual line in the sky you can see. A good way to appreciate the change is to merely go watch a sunrise or a sunset on Sunday, or appreciate the position of the Sun at midday (though obviously don’t go stare at it!).
Either way, the equinox is an important eaymarker in our planet’s incredible annual journey around the Sun.
Wishing you clear skies and wide eyes.
