What you need to know about the spring equinox
The March equinox has captivated human civilization for thousands of years, and it has even been tied to ancient mysteries -- yet there are still many misconceptions around the changing of the season.
By
Lauren Fox, AccuWeather staff writer
Rumor has it that you can only balance an egg twice a year on the vernal equinox and on the autumnal equinox, but is that really true? What is the origin behind this belief?
Two times each year the Earth's rotation around the sun creates an equinox, kicking off the beginning of spring and autumn. But what exactly is an equinox, and what does it mean?
Bob Berman, an astronomer for Slooh, explained that the Earth is set on a tilt, and an equinox occurs when the Earth's tilt is directed in a way where the sun shines directly on the equator. This evenly distributes the sun's rays across the Earth's surface.
In comparison, solstices are when the Earth is tilted in a way where one part of the Earth is hit directly with sunlight. For example, summer is warmer due to the Earth being tilted so the hemisphere is pointing toward the sun, receiving the most amount of direct sunlight and warming the surface.
The spring equinox, also known as the vernal equinox, marks the beginning of astronomical spring, compared to what forecasters consider "meteorological spring," which began on March 1.
"There's no 'thing' that happens on the first day of spring, summer or winter meteorologically, but there is something that happens on the first day of the seasons calendar-wise, and those are the equinoxes and solstices," Berman told AccuWeather. However, once the equinox passes, the days begin to become warmer as the sun moves in a more direct position over the hemisphere.
The astronomical start of the spring, also known as the March equinox, typically lands on March 20 or 21.
Civilizations have been conscious of equinoxes for thousands of years, which has allowed them to establish directions. Many famous ancient structures exemplify this by aligning with the sun. The Great Pyramid of Egypt in Giza was built to align with the cardinal points so precisely it is within one-10th of a degree, Berman said.
A satellite image captured by NOAA's GOES-16 shows what Earth looked like on or about the 2019 vernal equinox.
(NOAA)
The equinoxes also warned ancient civilizations of the changing seasons, which better prepared them for the newest crop season or the migration of animals to hunt.
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"That was a compelling reason to have the calendar the way it is, but the meteorologists also have a compelling reason," Berman said.
AccuWeather Meteorologist Danielle Knittle said the length of seasons can slightly vary, so meteorologists have created their system to keep things "consistent" by recognizing spring on March 1 every year. The beginning of meteorological spring is based on average temperature cycles.
"The meteorological seasons were created to compare statistics from year to year since astronomical spring -- and seasons in general -- is associated with the position of the sun in relation to Earth and can vary slightly from year to year," Knittle said.
With the tradition of equinoxes, however, comes common misconceptions.
Balloons fly over the Pyramid of the Sun in Teotihuacan, Mexico, on the Spring equinox at sunrise, Thursday, March 21, 2019. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte)
One ubiquitous equinox misconception, Berman said, is the idea that the equinox is the only day of the year when day and night are exactly equal. That actually happens about four days prior to the equinox, he clarified, so the equal day and night has already taken place ahead of the March equinox.
Another common myth that has received a lot of attention on social media in recent years is the idea that a person can only balance an egg during the equinox.
The legend says that the Earth and moon will align, balancing the gravitational force. Berman, however, said this is simply not true.
"Gravity doesn't change just because the Earth is sideways to the sun," Berman said.
For the latest weather news, check back on AccuWeather.com. Watch the AccuWeather Network on DIRECTV, Frontier, Spectrum, fuboTV, Philo, and Verizon Fios. AccuWeather Now is now available on your preferred streaming platform.
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News / Astronomy
What you need to know about the spring equinox
The March equinox has captivated human civilization for thousands of years, and it has even been tied to ancient mysteries -- yet there are still many misconceptions around the changing of the season.
By Lauren Fox, AccuWeather staff writer
Rumor has it that you can only balance an egg twice a year on the vernal equinox and on the autumnal equinox, but is that really true? What is the origin behind this belief?
Two times each year the Earth's rotation around the sun creates an equinox, kicking off the beginning of spring and autumn. But what exactly is an equinox, and what does it mean?
Bob Berman, an astronomer for Slooh, explained that the Earth is set on a tilt, and an equinox occurs when the Earth's tilt is directed in a way where the sun shines directly on the equator. This evenly distributes the sun's rays across the Earth's surface.
In comparison, solstices are when the Earth is tilted in a way where one part of the Earth is hit directly with sunlight. For example, summer is warmer due to the Earth being tilted so the hemisphere is pointing toward the sun, receiving the most amount of direct sunlight and warming the surface.
The spring equinox, also known as the vernal equinox, marks the beginning of astronomical spring, compared to what forecasters consider "meteorological spring," which began on March 1.
"There's no 'thing' that happens on the first day of spring, summer or winter meteorologically, but there is something that happens on the first day of the seasons calendar-wise, and those are the equinoxes and solstices," Berman told AccuWeather. However, once the equinox passes, the days begin to become warmer as the sun moves in a more direct position over the hemisphere.
The astronomical start of the spring, also known as the March equinox, typically lands on March 20 or 21.
Civilizations have been conscious of equinoxes for thousands of years, which has allowed them to establish directions. Many famous ancient structures exemplify this by aligning with the sun. The Great Pyramid of Egypt in Giza was built to align with the cardinal points so precisely it is within one-10th of a degree, Berman said.
A satellite image captured by NOAA's GOES-16 shows what Earth looked like on or about the 2019 vernal equinox.
The equinoxes also warned ancient civilizations of the changing seasons, which better prepared them for the newest crop season or the migration of animals to hunt.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP
"That was a compelling reason to have the calendar the way it is, but the meteorologists also have a compelling reason," Berman said.
AccuWeather Meteorologist Danielle Knittle said the length of seasons can slightly vary, so meteorologists have created their system to keep things "consistent" by recognizing spring on March 1 every year. The beginning of meteorological spring is based on average temperature cycles.
"The meteorological seasons were created to compare statistics from year to year since astronomical spring -- and seasons in general -- is associated with the position of the sun in relation to Earth and can vary slightly from year to year," Knittle said.
With the tradition of equinoxes, however, comes common misconceptions.
Balloons fly over the Pyramid of the Sun in Teotihuacan, Mexico, on the Spring equinox at sunrise, Thursday, March 21, 2019. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte)
One ubiquitous equinox misconception, Berman said, is the idea that the equinox is the only day of the year when day and night are exactly equal. That actually happens about four days prior to the equinox, he clarified, so the equal day and night has already taken place ahead of the March equinox.
Another common myth that has received a lot of attention on social media in recent years is the idea that a person can only balance an egg during the equinox.
The legend says that the Earth and moon will align, balancing the gravitational force. Berman, however, said this is simply not true.
"Gravity doesn't change just because the Earth is sideways to the sun," Berman said.
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For the latest weather news, check back on AccuWeather.com. Watch the AccuWeather Network on DIRECTV, Frontier, Spectrum, fuboTV, Philo, and Verizon Fios. AccuWeather Now is now available on your preferred streaming platform.
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