Although it does not feel like fall for south Louisiana, the autumn equinox is happening this Thursday. Meteorological fall started on September 1st, but astronomical fall starts Thursday, September 22nd. 

Thursday will be our last sunset after 7 pm for the Capital Area, and as time continues on, days will begin to get a little shorter. Temperatures are on the warmer side this week but we are seeing a drying trend in the forecast. This is letting us know the season is in fact changing. Our “fake fall” experience last week gave us a glimpse at what's to come. 

The term "equinox" means equal night, which leads many to believe that the first day of fall or the first day of spring—the equinoxes—bring exactly 12 hours of day and night. However, this is only true in some locations.

Earth takes approximately 365 days to orbit around the sun, wobbling on its axis while making this revolution. Because Earth is also tilted on its axis, there are only two days a year when the sun shines down exactly over the equator, and the day/night line – called the terminator – runs straight from north to south. On these days, day and night are approximately equal around the planet.  

The exact date when day and night are exactly 12 hours though, depends on the latitude of that specific location. On the equator, day and night are nearly the same lengths all year round. Sunrise is defined as the moment when the upper edge of the sun becomes visible above the horizon and sunset is defined as the moment when the upper edge of the sun disappears below the horizon. Since the time it takes the sun to fully rise and set is subtracted from the night, equinox days are actually a little longer than 12 hours. 

For more on our Fall status Click here to see the 7-day forecast.

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