Vernal equinox 2026: When is the first day of spring?
The March equinox is fast approaching, which will mark the beginning of an astronomical spring in the northern hemisphere and an astronomical autumn in the southern hemisphere.
This year, the vernal equinox, or vernal equinox, occurs at 10:46 a.m. EDT (2:46 p.m. UTC) March 20 in the Northern Hemisphere, according to Time and date. Since the equinoxes are global events governed by the Earth’s tilt axis relative to the sun, the March equinox occurs at the same time everywhere in the world.
Why are there seasons?
Earth knows the seasons because its axis is inclined by a average of 23.5 degrees relative to the planet’s orbit around the sun; This tilt causes different places on Earth to receive varying amounts of sunlight throughout the year. At the equinox, neither hemisphere is tilted toward or away from the sunso that the sun shines almost directly over the equator, producing almost equal day and night hours.
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The equinoxes occur twice a year, with approximately 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of darkness in the southern and northern hemispheres. The word comes from the Latin words “aequus” (equal) and “nox” (night). After the equinox, nights will shorten in the northern hemisphere and lengthen in the southern hemisphere until the solstice on Sunday June 21.
The equinoxes are among the most obvious landmarks on the solar calendar, as the sun rises and sets due east from almost every location on Earth (except at the poles), just as it does at the September equinox.
Written in stone and stars
The equinoxes have been celebrated by cultures throughout history. HAS Chichen Itzaa Mayan complex on the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico, sunrise light at the equinox gives the impression that a snake was descending the pyramid of Kukulcán. This is believed to mark the start of the planting season.
Many other temples are believed to be aligned with the sunrise at the equinox, including the Great Sphinx of Giza in Egypt and Angkor Wat in Cambodia. Other celebrations linked to the March equinox include Nowruz (Persian New Year), which is believed to date back 3,000 years.
If you can’t catch the equinox sunrise in a location with known alignments, try watching just after sunset on March 20, when a 5%-lit waxing crescent moon will shine just above Venus to the west-southwest.
There will also be signs of spring in the stars: the Big Dipper will rise high in the northeast for skywatchers in mid-northern latitudes. (You can remember its position by the mnemonic “come out, come down.”) Meanwhile, in the southern night sky for the mid-northern latitudes will be three prominent spring stars: Arcturus (in the constellation Boötes), Spica (in Virgo), and Denebola (in Leo), which together form the Spring Triangle asterism.
Soleil Quiz: How well do you know our local star?
