Fall Equinox Arrives Next Week

(Undated) – Fall officially begins next week. According to the National Weather Service, the “Fall Equinox” arrives Monday. They say the word “equinox” comes from the Latin term meaning “equal night”. Despite this, the length of day and night is not quite the same. While the geometric center of the Sun is above the horizon for 12 hours, sunrise is defined as when the edge of the Sun’s disk becomes visible, not when the center of the Sun is visible. The atmosphere also causes the light to bend, affecting when the Sun starts to be seen versus when it crosses the horizon. The combination of these factors will cause the equal day-night to vary by latitude. Typically, the equinox occurs around September 22nd-23rd each year. This year, the “Fall Equinox” is on Monday, September 22nd at 1:19 p.m. central.