When does this take place?
In the northern hemisphere, the spring equinox will occur this year on March 20, 2024, at 9:25 p.m. GMT. In the southern hemisphere, it will take place on December 21 at 9:48 p.m. GMT.
What is the spring equinox?
As mentioned above, equinoxes occur when the Earth's hemispheres are tilted neither toward nor away from the Sun. Therefore, the Sun is located directly above the equator and both hemispheres receive an almost equal amount of sunlight. After the spring equinox, the affected hemisphere (the northern hemisphere in March and the southern hemisphere in September) tilts closer to the sun, resulting in more hours of daylight , with earlier sunrises and later sunsets.
When does spring start in 2024?
Spring in the Northern Hemisphere begins on March 20, 2024, at 9:25 p.m. GMT. In the Southern Hemisphere, spring begins on September 22, 2024, at 12:44 GMT. This is consistent with the astronomical approach, which suggests that the equinoxes mark the transition from winter to spring and from summer to fall. The dates of these events are based on Earth's position relative to the Sun and can change from year to year.
The meteorological approach suggests that spring begins on March 1 (or September 1 for southern latitudes). Such an approach is based on annual temperature cycles. It also follows the Gregorian calendar and has fixed dates that allow a year to be divided into equal quarters and make it easier to compare monthly and seasonal statistics.
Day and night equality 2024: deconstructing the most popular myth
Despite common misconception, the length of day and night at the equinox are almost equal, but not exactly the same. There are two reasons for this: atmospheric refraction and the definition of sunset and sunrise.
