Astronomical autumn starts in Moldova with equinox on 22 September

Chisinau, 22 September /MOLDPRES/ - The 2020 autumn equinox took place at 16:31 today. Thus, on 22 September, the day time and the night time becomes equal in any place on Earth and marks the switch to the autumn season.

According to specialists, the autumn equinox represents the moment when the Sun, in its apparent annual movement, is exactly above the equator. On this day, the spring starts in the southern hemisphere.  

„The phenomenon does not take place on the same date each year, because the calendar year is not equal to the tropical one. Since the compilation of the Gregorian calendar (1582), the autumn equinox occurred on the days of 21, 22, 23 and 24 September, more often, yet, on 22 and 23 September,’’ according to the website www.astro-urseanu.ro.    

After the autumn equinox, the day (period of time illuminated by Sun in a cycle of 24 hours) becomes shorter and shorter and the night – longer and longer, till the winter solstice, due on 21 December 2020, when there will be the longest night of the year.

There are two such phenomena per year: the spring equinox (in March) and the autumn equinox (in September).

The two points on the ecliptic, where the Sun is placed on the moment of the equinox, are called equinoctial points, named vernal and, respectively, autumn equinoxes. The word ‘’equinox’’ comes from the French word ‘’équinoxe’’which, for its turn, comes from the Latin word "aequinoctium", made up of ‘’aequus’’ – equal and ‘’nox’’, ‘’noctis’’ – night.