There is a saying around these parts, however, that `Summer is Summer to Michaelmas Day’ (September 29th), which is not until next week. Many people take the autumnal equinox to be the end of summer. From now on days in the Northern hemisphere will be shorter than nights and they’ll get shorter still until the Winter Solstice. Day and night are not necessarily exactly equal on the equinox, but they’re the closest they get. when the plane defined by Earth’s equator passes through the centre of the Sun’s disk (or, if you prefer, when the centre of the Sun passes through the plane defined by Earth’s equator). The Autumnal Equinox (in the Northern hemisphere) takes place this evening (Wednesday 22nd September) at 20.21 Irish Time (19.21 UT).Īlthough the term `equinox’ refers to a situation in which day and night are of equal length, which implies that it’s a day rather than a specific time, the astronomical equinox is more accurately defined by a specific event, i.e. If you want to really make a night of it, you could even host your very own Thanksgiving-style Mabon feast with friends or family, where everyone brings their favourite foods and drinks and shares what they feel grateful for over dinner.įor more stories from where you live, visit InYourArea.So here we are then. Though you might not feel like the end of summer is a time to celebrate, the September equinox is a great time to donate to a charity, have a clear out or start a gratitude journal. Nowadays, the official start to autumn is a time to feel gratitude for what you have, and to give to those who are less fortunate. The celebrations were a way of giving thanks to nature for providing them with a good harvest and praying that the summer’s crops would last them through winter. The autumn equinox, also referred to as Mabon, originated as a pagan festival which would traditionally see Celts and pagans hold feasts, fires, sacrifices and offerings. How is the autumn equinox celebrated in the UK? Though we’ve been seeing darker evenings and cooler temperatures for a while already, the September autumn equinox marks the end of summer 2021 and the official start of the astronomical autumn.Īfter that, the days will gradually start to get shorter, before October’s hour change from British Summer Time (BST) back to Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) marks the beginning of lighter mornings and darker evenings. On this date, day and night are roughly equal in length at any location, as the equinox allows the same amount of daylight in both of Earth’s hemispheres. The autumn equinox - sometimes referred to as the September equinox - occurs when the earth’s equator passes through the centre of the sun.Īt this point, the Earth’s poles are aligned in a straight line, with neither the north nor the south pole tilted towards or away from the sun. The days will then gradually get shorter, in the lead up to the Northern Hemisphere’s winter solstice 2021, which will see the shortest day of the year in the UK fall on Tuesday, December 21.įollowing the winter solstice - the astronomical first day of winter - the days will slowly start to get longer again as we head into spring. The exact time of the equinox is 8.21pm BST (7.21pm Universal Coordinated Time). This year, the autumn equinox will take place on Wednesday, September 22. The next key astronomical event will come just days after tonight’s full harvest moon, named for giving farmers more light to harvest their summer crops, takes to the sky to become this summer season’s final full moon.īut when exactly is the autumn equinox and how can you celebrate it in the UK? Here’s everything you need to know. The nights have been getting chillier and the days shorter for a while now, but the upcoming autumn equinox will mark the official end to summer. It’s almost time to get your cosy knits and pumpkin spice lattes out because autumn is officially just around the corner.
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