Vernal Equinox 2024 is today Wednesday March 20 and already at 05:06 in the morning Spring is officially here, no matter what the weather reminds of an autumn scene
The equinoxes – the spring and autumn – determine the beginning of spring and autumn, while the solstices – summer and winter – determine the beginning of summer and winter respectively.
On the other hand, while from an astronomical point of view spring begins with the vernal equinox, in reality – as scientists who study the environment have found – due to climate change, nature enters its spring cycle more and more prematurely. The season of spring is coming earlier and earlier on our planet and nowhere is this more noticeable than in the North Pole and in general in the high latitudes.
In Greece the day of the equinox does not coincide with the day where there is exactly equal day and equal night. The equinox only occurs in the regions directly above the Earth’s Equator. In those that are either above – like our country – or below the Equator, the equal day-equal night occurs a few days before or after the “equinox”.
In the Southern Hemisphere the vernal equinox begins on September 21st, includes the months of September, October and November and ends at the winter solstice on December 21st. In meteorology, the three months of the northern or southern hemisphere are conventionally referred to as spring, although the actual length of the season in question is March 21 – June 21 and September 21 – December 21 respectively. In the Celtic calendar, spring includes the months of February – April.
THE vernal equinox is the starting point of the current Persian or Iranian calendar and coincides with the New Year for Iranians, but also for many peoples of the Middle East and Central Asia. The next day is the first day of the Indian National Calendar and New Year for Indians. The vernal equinox is the starting point for the calculation of the Easter holiday, both for Jews and Christians. Furthermore, it is one of the most important holidays in the neopagan calendar, as it symbolizes the rebirth of nature.
What is the equinox?
The equinox occurs twice a year, when the Earth passes through the points of intersection of the ecliptic (elliptical orbit of the earth) and the celestial equator. In astronomy, these points are internationally symbolized by the letters γ and γ΄. At this particular moment, the sun-earth line is perpendicular to the earth’s axis of rotation, with the result that day and night are of equal duration at any point on the earth’s surface. The equinox occurs around March 21 and September 23. The name equinox comes from the Greek words equal and day, while the international equivalent name, equinox, comes from the Latin aequus (equal) and nox (night).
The names vernal and autumnal equinox are relative and refer to areas in the northern hemisphere, as the seasons are opposite on the corresponding dates in the southern hemisphere. At the points of the two poles the equinox has no meaning, while at the points of the Equator the equinox is permanent.
In astronomy equinox is called the sidereal day during which the center of the sun’s disk is an equal amount of time above and below the horizon of each place, i.e. it crosses equal arcs (day and night), and during which the sun’s rays fall vertically on the equator. The phenomenon is due to the rotation of the earth around the sun and the tilt of its axis of rotation. As the Earth orbits the Sun, and because its axis of rotation is not perpendicular to the plane of orbit, the length of the day changes. Twice a year the Earth is in such a position that the sun’s rays fall completely vertically on the equator.
In many languages the corresponding term verbally does not refer to the concept of equinox but of equinox, mainly due to its Latin origin (Latin aequinoctium). The two equinoxes occur between the two solstices, the winter solstice and the summer solstice.
The equinox phenomenon it occurs in all the planets of each solar system that have an inclination of the axis of rotation with respect to the plane of orbit.
Anesis: “Aspili” from Thursday 21 to 27 March