At 5:05 am. this morning, the sun crossed the Equator heading for the Southern Hemisphere. That's the Fall equinox or the arrival of autumn in the North.
"At the autumnal equinox (Sept. 23, 2011, 5:05 A.M.), the Sun appears to cross the celestial equator, from north to south; this marks the beginning of autumn in the Northern Hemisphere," according to InfoPlease.
"On the first day of fall or spring, the sun is perpendicular (directly above) the equator on the equinox. On the equinox, there are twelve hours of daylight and twelve hours of darkness at all points on the earth’s surface on each of the two equinoxes. Sunrise is at 6 a.m. and sunset is at 6 p.m. local (solar) time for most points on the earth’s surface," says about.com.
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Chichen Itza Mexico is one of the most spectular places to welcome Fall.
- El Castillo. This is one of the most striking buildings in Chichen Itza. It is dedicated to Kukulkan, the Plumed Serpent. Every year on the fall and spring equinox the sun strikes the side of the building making a play of light and shadow which appears as a snake along the steps of the building, says GoMexico.
In the Iranian calendar, the equinox is when Mehregan, the festival of Zoroastrianism, is celebrated. In Korea, Chuseok is a major harvest festival and a three-day holiday, according to the New York Times.
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The Christian church, not to be outdone, replaced early pagan celebrations with Michaelmas (also known as the Feast of Michael and All Angels), but set it on Sept. 29, according to the New York Times.
The color blazes as the light fades. Enjoy.
Full Disclosure: McLean Patch adores Fall.
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