Here's When Fall 2020 Officially Begins
There is no such thing as an endless summer, scientifically-speaking. If you live for cute sundresses, lawn games and inflatable pools that's a sad reality check, but for "fall is my favorite season" types, it's a thrilling thought. Love it or hate it, though, the fact remains: Autumn is coming. And the 2020 fall equinox will signal the beginning of pumpkin spice candle and harvest festival season.
In most of the U.S., September is the time when we reluctantly stash our pool tubes and start brainstorming Halloween costume ideas. It's also when the autumnal equinox officially marks the end of one season and the start of the next. Here's what that means, and when to expect the first day of fall in 2020.
What is the Autumnal equinox?
An equinox is the point at which the sun sits directly above the earth's equator, and day and night are of approximately equal length across the world. The word "equinox" is derived from two words: aequus, which is Latin for “equal,” and nox, Latin for “night.”
This happens twice a year. The autumnal equinox, also known as the fall equinox and the September equinox, occurs in September, while the vernal equinox occurs in March. After the autumnal equinox, the days start getting shorter and the nights get longer.
When is the first day of fall 2020?
Tuesday, September 22, is the first official day of fall. This also makes it the last day of summer, so start refreshing your sweater collection now.
It's worth noting that this is the beginning of autumn in the Northern Hemisphere; in the Southern Hemisphere (where only 1 percent of the world's population lives) the equinox dates are reversed, with fall beginning in March and spring arriving in September.
Are the solstice and the equinox the same thing?
No, but both have to do with Earth's relationship to the sun. As we've established, during an equinox, the sun crosses the equator, making that date's stretches of day and night about the same length of time.
A solstice, on the other hand, is a period in which the sun is at its farthest point from the equator. Like the equinoxes, there are two solstices a year. During the summer solstice, the North Pole tilts to a point closest to the sun, making it the longest day of the year. The opposite happens during the winter solstice: the South Pole is tilted closest to the sun, making the day of that solstice the shortest, darkest day of the year (again, we're specifically referring to the Northern Hemisphere here).
The beginnings of winter, spring, summer, and fall are ushered in by four events: The winter solstice, the vernal equinox, the summer solstice, and the autumnal equinox, respectively.
What time is the 2020 autumnal equinox?
The exact time of the fall equinox varies by time zone in North America.
Eastern Daylight Time: Those living in the eastern time zone will experience the equinox at 9:31 a.m. EDT., according to the Farmer's Almanac.
Central Time: In the Central Time Zone, expect the equinox at 8:31 a.m. CDT.
Mountain Time: For cities in the Mountain Time Zone, the equinox is at 7:31 am MDT.
Pacific Time: Fall arrives in the Pacific Time Zone at 6:31 a.m. PDT.
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