First Day of Fall 2012: The Autumnal Equinox

Fall for 2012 begins in the Northern Hemisphere on September 22, 10:49 A.M. EDT. Here’s more about the first day of fall—the autumnal equinox—plus, facts, folklore, and some fantastic fall photos! (Say that five times fast!) 

It is the summer's great last heat,
It is the fall's first chill: They meet.
–Sarah Morgan Bryan Piatt

The Autumnal Equinox

The word equinox comes from the Latin words for "equal night." The fall and spring equinoxes are the only days of the year in which the Sun crosses the celestial equator.

From here on out, the temperatures begin to drop and the days start to get shorter than the nights. See your local Sun rise and set times and see how the days change! 

Questions and Answers About Fall

Question: Why aren't there exactly 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of darkness on the fall equinox? 

Answer: On the equinoxes, the very center of the Sun sets just 12 hours after it rises. But the day begins when the upper edge of the Sun reaches the horizon (which happens a bit before the center rises), and it doesn't end until the entire Sun has set. Not only that, but the Sun is actually visible when it is below the horizon, as Earth's atmosphere refracts the Sun's rays and bends them in an arc over the horizon. According to our former astronomer, George Greenstein, "If the Sun were to shrink to a starlike point and we lived in a world without air, the spring and fall equinoxes would truly have 'equal nights.'"

Question: The autumn leaves seems to be hanging on longer than usual in my neck of the woods. Is this an indication of winter weather to come?

Answer: There's an old weather proverb that states, "If autumn leaves are slow to fall, prepare for a cold winter." Or perhaps you just haven't had the kind of wind or rain needed to shake the leaves loose from their branches. But look on the bright side—you get to look at the beautiful autumn foliage for a little bit longer!  

Why do autumn leaves change color? See our fall foliage page!

"Changing Aspens" in Snowmass, Colorado by Randall Day
Send an autumn greeting to a friend with this free e-card!

Signs of Fall

In many regions of North America, the landscape silently explodes with vibrant colors of red, yellow, and orange. The leaves begin to drop off the trees, providing endless hours of jumping into leaf piles for kids and raking them back up for parents! Baseball season hits the homestretch, while football season is just warming up. Temperatures begin to drop, nights begin to get longer, and all the woodland critters are storing up for the long haul of winter. 

You can track when the seasons change by recording animal behaviors and the way that the plants grow. Listen to the new sounds and observe what you hear and see.

How do you know that fall is coming? Share your comment below!

Autumn Folklore and Verse

Autumn days come quickly, like the running of a hound on the moor. - Irish proverb

Trees snapping and cracking in the autumn indicate dry weather.

If, in the fall of the leaves in October, many of them wither on the boughs and hang there, it betokens a frosty winter and much snow.

Spring rain damps;
Autumn rain soaks.

Of autumn's wine, now drink your fill; the frost's on the pumpkin, and snow's on the hill.
- The Old Farmer's Almanac, 1993

Autumn has caught us in our summer wear. - Philip Larkin, British poet (1922-1986)

Fantastic Fall Photos

Our eCards are great photographs to send to family and friends. Check out our full Fall eCard Gallery! 

Bill Paulino Send as eCard now!

TL O'Brian Send as eCard now!

When is winter? Click here to see our Seasons page which lists when each of the four seasons starts.

Please share—what are the signs of fall you see?

Related Articles

• First Day of Seasons: 2013
• Fall Foliage: Why Do Autumn Leaves Change Color
• Blog: Signs of Autumn