History Series: Fall

History of Fall

What is the Autumnal Equinox?

Podcast

This time of year represented New Year’s Day, according to the French Republican Calendar. However, since that calendar was only in use from 1793 to 1805, following the fall of the French monarchy in 1792, very few still celebrate this day.

Date of Autumn

Instead, September 22 or 23 marks the beginning of Fall or Autumn, associated with the Equinox. This word is composed of two Latin root words, aequus and nox, meaning “equal night,” which refers to the fact that daylight and nighttime are of equal duration.

What happens during Equinox?

Astronomical

When the plane of the Earth’s equator passes through the center of the Sun, metaphorically speaking, you have evennight, twice a year. This year, the astronomical autumnal equinox (Fall) occurs on September 22 at 18:20 UTC. This means Temps Universel Coordonne (or Coordinated Universal Time), if you speak French, roughly equivalent to Greenwich Mean Time if you’re British, Zulu Time if you’re a pilot. The Vernal Equinox occurs six months later.

Since each equinox occurs at the same time, whether in the Northern Hemisphere or the Southern Hemisphere, though the…