Is today the spring (vernal) equinox?”
The March equinox, the official beginning of spring season in the northern hemisphere, is here. The equinox occurred Saturday at 17:32 Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), making the first day of spring. Called by names like vernal equinox, spring equinox, or March equinox, the day signals the end of winters and the beginning of warmer and longer days ahead. Understanding the phenomenon The March equinox, which occurs approximately on March 20 or 21, is the time when days and nights are equally long, meaning that there are twelve hours of daylight and twelve hours of darkness. This is due to the fact that the sun is vertically above the point on the Equator. During this time, the sun spends equal time “above and below the horizon at every location on the Earth.” The vernal equinox that marks the start of spring in the northern hemisphere also signifies the beginning of autumn in the southern hemisphere. Equinox occurs twice a year, March 20 or 21, and Sept. 22 or 23. Celebrating the equin
TODAY, MARCH 20 is the first day of spring 2010, which is marked by the occurrence of the Vernal equinox 2010. Vernal Equinox represents the first day of spring in northern hemisphere and fall in the southern hemisphere. On a day of the equinox, the centre of the Sun spends a roughly equal amount of time above and below the horizon at every location on the Earth, night and day being of roughly the same length. The first day of spring equinox 2010 is much awaited after the long and cold winter season. According to astronomy, spring equinox marks the moment when the center of the sun’s disk appears directly overhead at the Equator. The name “equinox” is derived from the Latin aequus (equal) and nox (night), because around the equinox, the night and day are approximately equally long. The first day of spring also marks the beginning of Nowruz, the Persian New Year. This year, the vernal equinox will occur at 17:32 coordinated universal time (1:32 PM Eastern Daylight Time) March 20, 2010.
