By: Meteorologist Megan Mulford
Updated: Feb 26th 2019

Autumnal Equinox

Crisp mornings, turning leaves, cozy sweaters, campfires, and pumpkin spice lattes. These are the many reasons why fall is my favorite season, especially after a hot and muggy summer! Today marks the Autumnal Equinox for the Northern Hemisphere which begins at 8:54 pm CDT (south of the equator marks the first day of spring).

1. Why do we have them?

- Earth's spin is on a tilted axis

    - North Pole tilts towards the sun half the year and the South Pole tilts towards the sun the other half

    - Reason for the seasons

2. Why is it called an equinox?

- Equinox means "equal nights"

    - Most places on Earth will see 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of night

    - After today in the Northern Hemisphere, the amount of darkness increases until the winter solstice

3. Can you balance an egg on these days?

- It is believed that on the day of the equinox, it is easier to balance an egg vertically on a flat surface than other days

    - This is a myth

    - The amount of sunlight we get does not correlate with gravitational pull of the Earth (You are just really good at balancing eggs!)

So, go ahead and enjoy the outdoors during this transitional season before winter arrives! 

fall leaves
Changing leaves