The Fall Equinox Is Here…What Does That Mean?
FILE - The sun sets beyond the downtown skyline of Kansas City, Mo., as the autumnal equinox marks the first day of fall Sunday, Sept. 22, 2013. During the equinox, the Earth’s axis and its orbit line up so that both hemispheres get an equal amount of sunlight. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File)
NEW YORK (AP) — Fall gets its official start this weekend in the Northern Hemisphere.
This year’s autumnal equinox arrives on Saturday.
But what does that mean?
The Earth’s axis is tilted at an angle as it travels around the sun.
On the equinox, the Earth’s orbit lines up so both hemispheres get the same amount of sunlight.
This means day and night last about the same amount of time, and marks the start of a new season.
Solstices are the opposite.
They happen when the Earth is tilted most strongly toward or away from the sun, so day and night are very different lengths.
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