When does autumn end?
Autumn officially ends at the Winter Solstice. A solstice is a point in the orbit of the Earth around the Sun when the axis of the Earth is in the same plane as the line from the center of the Earth to the center of the Sun. If you are in the hemisphere more nearly facing the Sun, it is your Summer Solstice and if your are in the hemisphere more nearly facing away from the Sun it is your Winter Solstice. This event is really just an instant in time which is why you may hear a news report or weather forcast say that Winter begins at 10:32 a.m. Tuesday (for example). In the Northern Hemisphere this is on or about December 22nd, in the Southern Hemisphere, June 22nd.
