The daylight hours are the same as the night-time hours just twice a year – at the Spring and Autumn Equinox. But what does that mean?
Spring and Autumn Equinox
The Spring Equinox is the first astronomical day of Spring in the northern hemisphere. It’s also known as the Vernal Equinox.
The Spring and Autumn Equinox are the two days of the year when there are equal hours of daylight and darkness. And it happens all over the world!
The two equinox are the only time of the year when the sun rises due East and sets due West.
The equilux is when day and night are equal and occurs a few days before the spring equinox, and a few days after the autumn equinox.
Not to be confused with the Summer and Winter Solstice, which are the longest and shortest days! Or the start/end of British Summertime, when the clocks change!
When are the Spring and Autumn Equinox?
The Spring Equinox marks the beginning of astronomical Spring and always happens on 19, 20 or 21 March in the northern hemisphere. In the southern hemisphere the same day marks the beginning of autumn. In 2026 it’s Friday 20 March at 2.46pm
Meteorological Spring is from March 1 through May 31st.
The Autumn Equinox marks the beginning of astronomical Autumn. It always happens between 21 and 24 September each year. In 2026 it’s Wednesday 23 September at 1.04am.
Meteorological autumn is from 1 September to 30 November.
Why is it on a different day?
The Earth doesn’t take exactly 365 days to make a complete revolution around the Sun – it’s actually about 365.25 days on average to travel round the Sun once. We use the Gregorian Calendar which accounts for it by adding an extra day (February 29) every 4 years. This means that each equinox occurs about 6 hours later than the previous year’s and is why the date can change from year to year.
A Season of Change
Spring is a lovely time of year – the days are getting longer and will carry on drawing out until the Summer Solstice. Plants are starting to grow again and the first Spring flowers are nodding their heads. The rising sun holds a promise of summer days to come.
The Spring Equinox embraces the energies of rebirth, fertility, creativity, balance, and expansive growth for mind, body, and spirit.
Autumn definitely has its own charm. It heralds cosy nights in front of the TV, tucked up warm and enjoying winter pass times. Long walks on cold days and red cheeks when you head inside. Red leaves on the trees and a cool nip in the evening air.
At at the same time, Autumn is a symbol of plenty, ripening, harvest, and abundance. But it’s also a symbol of decay, decline, old age, and even death – and things being past their prime.
Take a look at Wikipedia if you’re interested in the science behind the Equinox.
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