vernal equinox | EarthSky

Diagram: Earth inside a translucent sphere with orbit-like lines for celestial equator and ecliptic and celestial poles marked.

The equinox sun rises due east and sets due west

The 2026 September equinox occurs on 14:46 UTC (9:46 p.m. CDT) on March 20. And the equinox sun rises and sets due east and due west.

Sun barely peeking over forested horizon under bronze sky, reflected in foreground lake.

Are day and night equal on the equinox? Not exactly

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

Composite of 11 photos with sun just above a low mountain showing positions of the sun at dawn on 11 dates.

Equinox fun: Track the sun’s shift now until 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 mountainous horizon with setting suns at far left and right, and 2 in the middle.

See the year’s fastest sunsets and sunrises around equinoxes

The year's fastest sunsets and sunrises happen around the equinoxes, and the slowest sunsets and sunrises happen around the solstices.

Bright pink and green auroras in the background, and a small church in the foreground.

Russell-McPherron effect gives us an aurora season: More auroras at equinoxes

There's an aurora season around the equinoxes, due to the way the magnetic fields of the sun and the Earth work in conjunction with sun-Earth geometry.

Solstices and equinoxes seen 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.

Tall, black obelisk with shadow cast on radial blue and yellow checkerboard with times on it.

Look for equinox shadows in a direct line from west to east

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

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.

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.

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.

How often does a solar eclipse happen on the March equinox?

A total solar eclipse happened on the day of the March equinox in 2015. When is the next one after this, and how often do we get an equinox-eclipse?

When will the Age of Aquarius begin?

The Age of Aquarius may be said to begin when the vernal equinox point moves in front of Aquarius. But when will that be?

Looking up at the top of a pole from below, with colored ribbons radiating from the top.

Happy May Day! Today is an astronomy holiday

Happy May Day! This annual celebration has its roots in astronomy as 1 of 4 cross-quarter days. Dancing around a maypole is a traditional May Day celebration.

A basket full of eggs painted with intricate, colorful designs.

Easter is April 5 and Orthodox Easter is April 12

In 2026, Easter falls on April 5. It falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the March equinox. More about the date of Easter, here.

Yellow flower with 6 prominent petals around a yellow cup.

When’s the first day of spring? All you need to know

While astronomical spring doesn't start until March 20, meteorologists and climatologists use March 1 as the first day of spring for consistency.

Sun activity archive for March 2026

Sun activity archive for March 2026. A daily record of flaring, big filaments and prominences, and other sorts of activity, on our local star.

Bright bluish line streaking through clouds near the stars of Cassiopeia. It is reflected in a body of water.

Spring fireball season is underway! Watch for them

Spring fireball season is now! The rate of fireballs (bright meteors) often goes up in the Northern Hemisphere by as much as 30% from February through April.

What is the zodiac? Why is it important in astronomy?

Maybe you associate the word zodiac with astrology. But it has an honored place in astronomy, too. It's defined by the path of the sun across our sky.

Fireworks reflecting in water with Happy New Year 2026 written on it.

Why does the New Year begin on January 1?

Why does the New Year begin on January 1? The tradition stems from the festival of Janus, the Roman god of past and future.

Overhead view of the orbit of Earth. The sun is in the middle of the orbit. The paths of two comets are visible. One passes by the orbit of Earth, the other one crosses between the sun and the orbit of Earth.

Observable comets in 2024, from Guy Ottewell

Here are predictions from Guy Ottewell for the observable comets in 2024. C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS might be a bright comet in October.

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The equinox sun rises due east and sets due west

Are day and night equal on the equinox? Not exactly

Equinox fun: Track the sun’s shift now until the solstice

See the year’s fastest sunsets and sunrises around equinoxes

Russell-McPherron effect gives us an aurora season: More auroras at equinoxes

Solstices and equinoxes seen from space

Look for equinox shadows in a direct line from west to east

On the equinox, are day and night equal?

Fastest sunsets happen near the equinoxes

An astronomer contemplates the equinox

How often does a solar eclipse happen on the March equinox?

When will the Age of Aquarius begin?

Happy May Day! Today is an astronomy holiday

Easter is April 5 and Orthodox Easter is April 12

When’s the first day of spring? All you need to know

Sun activity archive for March 2026

Spring fireball season is underway! Watch for them

What is the zodiac? Why is it important in astronomy?

Why does the New Year begin on January 1?

Observable comets in 2024, from Guy Ottewell