When is the first day of fall? What to know about the 2023 autumn equinox. (2024)

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When is the first day of fall? What to know about the 2023 autumn equinox.? ›

Eastern Time: According to the National Weather Service, the fall equinox in 2023 will happen at 2:50 a.m. EDT on September 23. Central Time: For those of you in the Central time zone, the fall season will officially begin at 1:50 a.m. CST on September 23.

The first day of fall 2023 is on Saturday, September 23, in the Northern Hemisphere. This is also known as the autumnal equinox, which is the day of the year when day and night are approximately equal in length all over the world.

The autumnal equinox, usually occurring on September 22 or 23, means fall is officially here. The autumnal equinox is one of only two days—the other is the spring, or vernal, equinox—when the Sun is directly above the Equator, ostensibly dividing night and day into equal portions.

In the Northern Hemisphere the autumnal equinox falls about September 22 or 23, as the Sun crosses the celestial equator going south. In the Southern Hemisphere the equinox occurs on March 20 or 21, when the Sun moves north across the celestial equator.

For Pisces, the 2023 Autumn Equinox may symbolise a deeper spiritual connection. As autumn arrives, Pisces may dive deeper into their intuitive side, using the equilibrium of the equinox as a time for meditation, dream work, and spiritual exploration.

The autumnal equinox is an astronomical event that marks the start of autumn (or “fall”). In the Northern Hemisphere, the autumnal equinox occurs in September; in the Southern Hemisphere, it occurs in March.

The autumnal equinox occurs in September each year, and in the northern hemisphere the date marks the end of summer and beginning of autumn.

“Autumn” comes from the Latin word “autumnus,” with the root of the word meaning “the passing of the year.” The term “fall” was likely a deviation from the Old English words “fiaell” and “feallan,” both of which mean “to fall from a height.” It is assumed that this new name for the season was inspired by the dropping ...

“Astronomical fall is essentially the time period from the autumnal equinox up to the winter solstice. Those dates can vary by a day or two each year,” she says. “Meteorological fall is different … in that the dates never change and are based on climatological seasons rather than Earth's angle relative to the sun.

An equinox occurs when the position of the Sun is exactly over the Equator. When this happens, the hours of daylight and the hours of darkness are about equal almost everywhere on Earth. Equinoxes take place twice a year.

What month is fall? ›

When is fall? In the Northern Hemisphere, fall is roughly between August and November, technically lasting from the autumnal equinox (often referred to as the September equinox because it occurs around the end of September) until the winter solstice (around the end of December).

The seasons are defined as spring (March, April, May), summer (June, July, August), autumn (September, October, November) and winter (December, January, February).

Here is some interesting facts about Fall (Autumn): Autumn begins when the center of the sun crosses Earth's equator. As Earth continues its path around the sun, days become shorter and nights become longer. The Earth's orbit around the Sun has very little effect over the Seasons on Earth.

Autumnal equinox 2023 brings fall to the Northern Hemisphere today (Sept. 23) Autumn officially begins at 2:50 a.m. EDT on Saturday (Sept. 23).

The first day of fall is on Saturday, September 23, 2023.

If you're really keen to divide up the year then consider September to be early autumn, October to be mid autumn and November to be late autumn.

The Date Varies

While the September equinox usually occurs on September 22 or 23, it can very rarely fall on September 21 or September 24. A September 21 equinox has not happened for several millennia. However, in the 21st century, it will happen twice—in 2092 and 2096.