It's been an odd winter, with temperatures in the 60s on the east coast in February followed by a Nor'easter in March. But the days of sludge and salt are coming to an end (in the northern hemisphere, at least) and spring is finally, officially almost here.
The spring equinox, also known as the vernal equinox, will take place this Monday, March 20, at 6:29 a.m. This is the first equinox of the year — the second, the fall equinox, will take place in September. During an equinox, the night and day are approximately equal in length. According to EarthSky, this is because "the earth’s axis and earth’s orbit around the sun combine in such a way that the axis is inclined neither away from nor toward the sun," making for a balance in how much sunlight each hemisphere receives.
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How will you notice the spring equinox in your everyday life? The days will continue getting longer. The Washington Post reports that daylight is increasing at its fastest rate right now, with some cities getting up to three minutes more sunshine each day.
This means that you can leave work and still enjoy the natural light. Anyone for happy hour outdoors?
You can get a look at the sun through the lens of a telescope via Slooh.com's livestream this Monday, March 20, beginning at 4:30 p.m.