First day of fall - september 22, 2020
On September 22, 2020, the day and night will be almost equal in most locations. Here are 5 facts about the first day of astronomical fall (autumn) in the Northern Hemisphere.
1. Second Equinox of the Year
The September equinox is on or around September 22, while the first equinox of the year, the March Equinox, takes place on or around March 21 every year.
2. Say Goodbye to Summer...
...in the Northern Hemisphere. Astronomically, the September equinox is the autumnal, or fall, equinox marking the end of summer and the beginning of fall (autumn). The fall season ends on December Solstice, when astronomical winter begins.
Meteorologists versus Astronomers
For meteorologists, on the other hand, fall in the Northern Hemisphere begins about 3 weeks before the September equinox on September 1 and ends on November 30.
3. And Welcome Spring
In the Southern Hemisphere, the September equinox is the vernal (spring) equinox.
The September equinox is also known as the vernal or spring equinox in the Southern Hemisphere and is considered by astronomers as the first day of spring there.
4. Shorter time between Moonrises..
The full Moon closest to the September equinox, the Harvest Moon is astronomically special. This is because the time between one moonrise to another around this period becomes shorter.
On average, the moon rises about 50 minutes later every day in a lunar month - the time period between two Full Moons or two New Moons. Around the Harvest Moon, the time difference between two successive moonrises decreases to less than 50 minutes for a few days.
Known as the Harvest Moon Effect, this phenomenon occurs due to the low angle the Moon's orbit around Earth makes with the horizon during this time of year.
The reverse effect occurs in the Southern Hemisphere, where the Moon rises more than 50 minutes later than on the previous day.
5. Alaska Northern Lights
As the September equinox rolls by, the chances to see the aurora borealis display increases for those located at high Northern Hemisphere latitudes. According to NASA, the equinoxes are prime time for Northern Lights – geomagnetic activities are twice more likely to take place in the spring and fall time, than in the summer or winter.
SEPTEMBER MONTHLY MEETING 09/14/2020 AT 7 P.M.
Monthly City Meetings are held on the second Monday
The monthly meeting for September will be held Monday, September 14th in the Town Hall at 7 p.m.