Fall is coming, and even though we are in the middle of a pandemic, we can still celebrate the season. The autumnal fall equinox, or September equinox officially ushers in the new season and its promise to crisp air, show-stopping leaf displays and cool evenings. So, when is the first day of fall 2020? It is important to note here that there are two equinoxes every year—March and September, when the Sun shines directly on the equator and the length of the day and night is nearly equal. So, when is the first day of Fall 2020? This year, the autumnal equinox will occur on September 22. In this article, we bring you September equinox 2020 date and time, and more interesting things you should know about the first day of fall.

Autumnal Equinox 2020 Date: When is the First Day of Fall?

The September equinox occurs the moment the Sun crosses the celestial equator—the imaginary line in the sky above the Earth’s equator—from north to south. This happens either on September 22, 23 or 24 every year. The Autumnal equinox 2020 is on September 22 (Tuesday) at 19:00 Indian Standard Time (IST). Again the September equinox 2020 in Universal Coordinated Time (UCT) falls on the same date at 13:30 UTC.

What is a Fall Equinox?

There are only two times of the year when the Earth’s axis is tilted neither toward nor away from the Sun, resulting in a ‘nearly’ equal amount of daylight and darkness at all the latitudes. These events are referred to as equinoxes. Fall equinox means fall is officially here. Like the spring, the autumnal equinox marks an astronomical turning point of the seasons. It signifies the end of the summer. It is during an equinox when both the northern and southern hemispheres will receive an equal amount of daylight, as the Sun is directly above the equator.

What Happens During the Fall Equinox?

Usually, the northern and southern hemispheres receive different amounts of sunlight throughout the year. But on the equinox, the orbital plane of the equator becomes geometrically aligned with the centre of the Sun. The Sun is directly above the equator, and at this stage neither hemisphere can be tilted away from or toward the Sun. In the northern hemisphere, the autumnal equinox falls in September as the Sun crosses the celestial equator going south. Again, in the southern hemisphere, the equinox occurs in March, when the Sun moves north across the celestial equator.

The coronavirus pandemic has sure changed a lot of our fall rituals but cannot take away the spirit. Fall is approaching, and no one wants to miss the chance to enjoy the beautiful season before winter arrives. Happy Fall 2020, everyone!

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 18, 2020 03:19 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).