Technology
Vernal Equinox: First day of spring is THIS week – but what does it mean?
THIS Saturday will see the first day of spring for everyone in the Northern Hemisphere, which is scientifically known as the ‘vernal equinox’.
That means for people in the UK and the US, March 20 will have equal amounts of daylight and darkness.
An image taken from space shows the perfect balance between night and day on the first official day of spring[/caption]
The official time for the start of spring is 9:37am GMT (5:37am EDT) on the morning of March 20.
The spring vernal equinox happens because Earth reaches a point in its orbit where the Sun will be directly above the equator.
The equator is an imaginary line that divides our planet between the Northern Hemisphere and the Southern Hemisphere.
From March 20, countries in the Northern Hemisphere will be tilted more towards the Sun.
Vernal equinoxes occur twice a year, once to mark spring and once to mark autumn[/caption]
This will mean longer daylight hours and warmer temperatures.
For countries in the Southern Hemisphere, like Australia and South Africa, the vernal equinox marks the start of their autumn.
The spring season will last until the summer solstice occurs at the end of June.
That’s when the Northern Hemisphere will see its maximum tilt towards the Sun.
The summer solstice is the day on which the Northern Hemisphere countries have their most amount of daylight.
After this point, the Sun starts setting a bit earlier each day and we’re gradually led into the winter months.
What is an equinox?
Equinoxes, just like solstices, happen because of how the Earth is titled relative to the Sun.
The Earth spins on an axis that’s tilted at about 23.5 degrees.
Because of this tilt, as the Earth makes its way around the Sun each year, different parts of it get exposed to more or less sunlight.
This is why we have seasons.
The most dramatic changes occur during the summer and winter solstices.
However, during the autumn and spring equinoxes, the Earth’s tilt means it’s perpendicular to the Sun’s rays and they hit it evenly.
That means both sides of the Earth receive exactly 12 hours of day and night.
This only happens twice a year and it’s happening for the second time in 2020 on September 22.
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In other news, the largest asteroid to make a ‘close approach’ to Earth in 2021 is set to shoot past this month.
Nasa has released historic first audio recordings captured on the surface of Mars.
China and Russia have pledged to build a shared Moon base, marking the start of a new era in space cooperation between the two countries.
What’s your favourite season? Let us know in the comments…
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