It’s time to say “goodbye” to wintry winds and “hello” to warm weather, because the spring equinox is finally here.
It officially begins on Wednesday, March 20 at 5.58 p.m. ET. In a different time zone? Check what time the spring equinox starts for you on the US Naval Observatory's website.
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But if you are scratching your head about what an equinox actually is, here are a couple of facts:
What does the term mean?
Equinox is a Latin term that means “equal night.” It happens when the sun shines directly on the Earth’s equator, providing equal amounts of day and night time to both the Northern and Southern hemispheres.
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How does the spring equinox affect us?
Aside from the warmer weather and the budding flowers, the Northern hemisphere experiences later sunsets, while the opposite occurs for the Southern hemisphere.
From March 20 onward, the days will get longer until the summer solstice in June.
How often does an equinox occur?
It happens twice year - once in March and again in September.
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Does the March equinox have any other names?
It’s also referred to as the vernal or March equinox.
