When Is the First Day of Fall? The Autumnal Equinox in 2024

The word equinox is Latin for “equal night,” and it’s the date when, in most places on Earth, the daylight lasts just about as long as the nighttime. The fall equinox specifically marks the midpoint between the summer solstice in June, when Northern Hemisphere days are their longest (up to 24 hours without the sun setting in the polar regions), and the long, dark nights of the winter solstice in December, when the sun never rises in the polar regions.

On the fall equinox (aka the autumnal equinox), the center of the sun is above the horizon for exactly 12 hours. But we consider the sun to be rising when the lip of it just comes into view, which can happen a few minutes before the center; at sunset, even once the sun’s center has dipped below the horizon, it takes a few more minutes for the rest of it to disappear.

Plus, according to TimeandDate.com, during the moments at the very beginning of the sunrise and the very end of the sunset, when there’s only a tiny bit of the sun visible to us, we’re actually seeing the image refracted by Earth’s atmosphere. It bends the light around to us even before Earth has rotated far enough for the edge of the sun to clear the horizon.

What time is the 2024 fall equinox?

The fall equinox will occur at exactly 8:44 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT). After that, the Northern Hemisphere will get less direct light from the sun, and it will get chillier by the week. If you live in a different time zone, the fall equinox will begin at these times:

• Central Time: 7:44 a.m. CST
• Mountain Time: 6:44 a.m. MDT
• Pacific Time: 5:44 a.m. PDT

What are the signs of fall?

How will you know when the first day of fall is here (or near)? Here’s what to look for:

• The color of the leaves: Of course, you’ll see the leaf colors changing, with gold and crimson hues signaling the arrival of fall.
  
• The migration of birds: Birds like nightingales and swallows will start heading south, in search of warmer climates.
  
• The change in weather: The weather will start getting crisper, particularly in the mornings, as autumn approaches.
  
• An abundance of squirrels: They’ll be out in full force at this time of year, collecting ripe brown acorns and hiding nuts for their winter supplies.

What are some fun facts about the fall equinox?

MARCO BOTTIGELLI/GETTY IMAGE

Now that you know when the first day of fall will arrive, celebrate the day and the season with a few fascinating fall facts. Some of them may surprise you!

The sun goes south during the fall equinox

At the moment of the equinox, when the sun’s rays are concentrated on the side of the Earth, the sun is directly above the equator. Fall in the Northern Hemisphere begins just as the Earth progresses a little bit farther on in our orbit—the sun’s radiation then focuses more on the Southern Hemisphere (where spring begins) and keeps bathing the Earth’s southern half in extra light until the next equinox, in March.

Satellites may get disrupted on the first day of fall

Although eggs don’t behave much differently on the first day of fall, some satellites are vulnerable to disruptions. Lots of them orbit around the equator, so when the sun is shining directly on them during the equinox, the unusually high amount of solar radiation can lead to slow internet connections and staticky radios, according to National Geographic. These “sun outages” can happen during the days before and after the equinox too. Luckily, they usually last only a few minutes.

Mayan astronomers marked the fall equinox

Although the first day of fall doesn’t attract quite the modern celebrations that the spring equinox and the summer solstice do, the ancient Mayans really played it up: At Chichén Itzá on the Yucatán peninsula, the Pyramid of Kukulkán (also known as El Castillo) is a pyramid with 365 steps—that’s one for each day of the year. On the fall and spring equinoxes, a shadow appears on the pyramid’s surface that looks like a serpent descending the steps toward a stone head at the bottom.

Your chances of seeing the northern lights increase during the fall equinox

Scientists say that at the September equinox, the chances of catching the northern lights increase for those located in the Northern Hemisphere. The equinoxes are the best time for the northern lights because geomagnetic activities are twice as likely to occur during autumn and spring rather than winter or summer. Snap a photo of the lights to post with a picture-perfect fall caption!

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Sources:

• The Old Farmer’s Almanac: “Autumnal Equinox 2024: The First Day of Fall”
• The Old Farmer’s Almanac: “Signs of Autumn: Flying Birds, Falling Leaves, and Fading Sunlight”
• Miami Herald: “Why do people try to balance eggs upright during the spring equinox?”
• National Geographic: “Chichén Itzá”
• National Geographic: “Equinox”

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