Today is the first day of fall also known as the Autumn Equinox. The autumn equinox marks the end of the summer and the beginning of the fall. There are two equinoxes per year, the spring equinox or Vernal which falls in March and the autumn equinox or Mabon in September.
The word equinox comes from the Latin word “equal night” during the equinox the day and night are of equal length worldwide. There are only two times during the year when the sun rises due east and sets due west. Those two times are the spring and autumn equinoxes. The autumnal equinox and spring equinox are also the only days of the year when a person standing on the Equator can see the sun passing directly overhead.(1) On the Northern Hemisphere's autumn equinox, a person at the North Pole would see the sun skimming across the horizon, signaling the start of six months of darkness.(2) A person at the South Pole would also see the sun skim the horizon, beginning six months of uninterrupted daylight. (3) This autumn equinox is different from other equinoxes from past years, as a matter of fact; the last time we had an autumnal equinox like this year was in 1991.
When fall arrives tonight at 10:09 p.m. (EST) it will coincide with what is traditionally called the Harvest moon. For the first time since 1991, the Harvest moon will shed its beautiful beam of light in the beginning of the fall on the northern hemisphere’s autumnal equinox. The Harvest Moon usually occurs within days after the arrival of the autumnal equinox. It's the first time the two events have occurred at the same time since 1991. According to Science@NASA “This harvest moon is the closest it has ever come and we won't see it like this again until the year 2029”.
Tonight take a break from the hustle and bustle of daily life, make it a point to step out on your porch, look out your window, or sit in your yard and gaze at the amazing gift nature has given us on this first day of fall 2010.
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