Like the equinoxes, there are two solstices a year. In the Southern Hemisphere, fall begins in March and spring arrives in September.Ī solstice, on the other hand, is a period in which the sun is at its farthest point from the equator.

It's worth noting that this is the beginning of autumn in the Northern Hemisphere in the Southern Hemisphere (where only 1 percent of the world's population lives) the equinox dates are reversed. This also makes it the last day of summer, so start refreshing your sweater collection now. Wednesday, September 22, is the first official day of fall. It's also the halfway point between the summer solstice on June 20, 2021, and the winter solstice that occurs on Tuesday, December 2021. The word 'equinox' is derived from two words: aequus, which is Latin for “equal,” and nox, Latin for “night.” What is an equinox?Īn equinox is the point at which the sun sits directly above the earth's equator, and day and night are of approximately equal length across the world. Here's what that means, the difference between an equinox and a solstice, and when to expect the first day of fall in 2021.

It's also when the fall equinox officially marks the end of one season and the start of the next. In most of the U.S., September is the time when we reluctantly stash our pool tubes and start brainstorming Halloween costume ideas. After the autumnal equinox, the days start getting shorter, and the nights get longer. The autumnal equinox, also known as the fall equinox and the September equinox, occurs in September, while the vernal equinox occurs in March. The autumnal equinox occurs every September in the Northern Hemisphere, marking the beginning of fall, which is September 22 in 2021.

First day of fall 2021