equinox | EarthSky

Sunrise over a frozen landscape, with 2 researchers looking on reverently.

Equinox sun above horizon all day at the poles

We know the equinox sun rises due east and sets due west. But what happens at Earth's poles? Does the sun look exactly the same at both poles?

Wide partial arc of setting sun, glowing orange below and yellow above.

On the equinox, are day and night equal?

Day and night are mostly equal on the equinox. There's a bit more daylight because the sun is a disk, not a point, and Earth’s atmosphere refracts sunlight.

Mountains at dawn over a city, with 7 suns just over the horizon spaced out from each other, with dates.

Equinox fun: Track sun’s shift between now and the solstice

On this equinox, start tracking the sunset point on your western horizon. You'll see a mighty shift between now and the June solstice.

A sailboat in front of the enormous sun which has a short green streak atop. Thin orange clouds above in dark blue sky.

Year’s fastest sunsets happen around equinoxes

The year's fastest sunsets are at the equinoxes, and the slowest are at the solstices. We're talking about how long it takes the sun to sink below the horizon.

Diagram with Earth inside a large translucent sphere with lines for celestial equator, celestial poles and ecliptic.

Equinox sun rises due east and sets due west

The 2024 March equinox occurs on March 20 at 3:06 UTC (10:06 p.m. CDT on March 19). At the equinox, the sun rises and sets due east and due west.

Silhouette of trees with enormous green curtain-like bands of light in the sky, with scattered stars.

It’s aurora season. Why more auroras at equinoxes?

An aurora season occurs in March and October each year, due to the way the magnetic fields of the sun and the Earth work in conjunction with sun-Earth geometry.

Solstices and equinoxes in a video from space

See how sunlight falls on Earth's surface during the solstices and equinoxes, and get a better understanding of why Earth's tilt causes the seasons.

Star chart of constellation Aries with stars labeled, together with the Pleiades, Hyades and ecliptic.

Meet Hamal, an ancient equinox star

Meet Hamal, the brightest star in Aries, and learn why people sometimes refer to the March equinox point as the First Point in Aries.

Complex diagram with sun in 3 positions and 3 radiating shadows aligned at ends.

Equinox shadows trace a straight line from west to east

Equinox shadows are unique. On this day - and this day only - the tip of an upright stick's shadow follows a straight path, west to east, all day long.

Star chart showing location of constellations on the September equinox.

Northern autumn ahead. Here’s your equinox sky

Northern autumn arrives on September 22 or 23, 2022, with the equinox. The time and date depend on precisely where you live. Find out more here.

Four photos of half-lit Earth, left two at a slant and right two straight up and down.

Are day and night equal at the equinox?

Are day and night equal at an equinox? No. Earth's atmosphere and our sun team up to give us more day than night at an equinox.

JUpiter's four major moons: Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto.

Jupiter’s equinox and mutual events of its 4 major moons

The king planet Jupiter reaches its equinox on May 2, 2021, an event that always causes mutual events of Jupiter's 4 major moons. It's an eclipse season of the moons.

Two fingers holding up a rounded piece of glass with a sun setting over water behind.

Fastest sunsets happen near the equinoxes

We're talking about the amount of time needed for the body of the sun to sink below the horizon. It's true. The sun actually sets faster around the time of an equinox.

Dome of longitude and latitude lines with suns in perfect arc over the center.

Equinox sun is over Earth’s equator

At an equinox, and for several days before and after, the midday sun is straight up at noon seen from Earth's equator. At this equinox, the sun is crossing the celestial equator, moving from north to south.

An astronomer contemplates the equinox

You can think of the equinox not as a whole day, but as a point along Earth's orbit. Want to understand that better? Guy Ottewell offers some insights.

Are day and night equal at equinoxes?

September 22 is the equinox. The word means "equal night." Days and nights are nearly equal now at the equinox, but not quite. Here's why. Also, we've got a new word for you, "equilux." It's the word for when day and night are, in fact, equal.

SOHO looks at equinox sun

Four views of the sun taken by the SOHO solar observatory on the morning of the March 2019 equinox.

Full supermoon at March 2019 equinox

The full moon crests less than 4 hours after the arrival of the March 20, 2019 equinox. It’s the closest coincidence of a full moon with a March equinox between the years 2000 and 2030.

Why your equinox sun rises and sets due east and west

How is it possible for an equinox sun to rise due east - and set due west - for everyone around the world? How can you visualize it? Illustrations here.

Equinox sun rises due east, sets due west

At the equinox, the sun rises due east and sets due west, seen from around the globe. How can you visualize it? Illustrations here.

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Equinox sun above horizon all day at the poles

On the equinox, are day and night equal?

Equinox fun: Track sun’s shift between now and the solstice

Year’s fastest sunsets happen around equinoxes

Equinox sun rises due east and sets due west

It’s aurora season. Why more auroras at equinoxes?

Solstices and equinoxes in a video from space

Meet Hamal, an ancient equinox star

Equinox shadows trace a straight line from west to east

Northern autumn ahead. Here’s your equinox sky

Are day and night equal at the equinox?

Jupiter’s equinox and mutual events of its 4 major moons

Fastest sunsets happen near the equinoxes

Equinox sun is over Earth’s equator

An astronomer contemplates the equinox

Are day and night equal at equinoxes?

SOHO looks at equinox sun

Full supermoon at March 2019 equinox

Why your equinox sun rises and sets due east and west

Equinox sun rises due east, sets due west