Winter Is Over! Spring Officially Arrived on Tuesday, March 20, 2018 at 12:15 PM ET
InstantWeather
On Tuesday, March 20, 2018 the March (vernal) equinox will officially arrive in the Northern Hemisphere marking the end of what seemed to be a never ending winter for the majority of Canadians.
At exactly 12:15 p.m. ET, the Sun will officially cross the celestial equator (the imaginary line in the sky above the Earth’s equator) marking the beginning of Spring. This also marks the time at which days and nights (12 hours) are exactly the same length. The origin of the word equinox is actually derived from the Latin word, ‘equi’ meaning equal and ‘nox’ meaning night.
As the Northern Hemisphere celebrates the Spring equinox, people who live in the Southern Hemisphere will experience their Fall equinox, representing the beginning of colder temperatures and shorter days. The Earth’s axis always tilts at the same angle of 23.5 degrees, however, during the two equinoxes the tilt of the Earth’s axis is actually perpendicular to the Sun’s rays.
> (The Spring Equinox, Graphic Credit: Jake Cuthbert - IWC)
You likely remember as a child celebrating the first day of traditional Spring on March 21, but it has since been updated to reflect more accuracy. Astronomical statistical data collected during the 20th Century revealed the vernal equinox only landed on March 21, a total of 36 times over the last 100 years, making it a somewhat inaccurate benchmark as the official first day of Spring. So from 1981 on until approximately 2102, Canadians will continue to officially celebrate the first day of spring no later than March 20.
So, how about claims that you can balance an egg in an upright position on the first day of Spring? Well, not exactly true. It is actually possible to balance an egg on its end any time of the year but it has nothing to do with equalized gravitational pull. In fact, it has everything to do with the type of egg. The key to balancing an egg is to pick one where the yolk is perfectly centered in the shell for stability, a lot like when you have both feet on the ground. The trick to having a successful balance stems from choosing the right egg, practice and a lot of patience!
Sure signs of Spring include the changing position of the sun in the sky, increased overland flooding along rivers and creeks, the rise in temperatures triggering buds to appear on trees, animals emerging from hibernation, the return of Canadian Geese and the most dreaded of all, the activation of pollen in the air starting a long period of dread for allergy sufferers.
How are you celebrating the official beginning of Spring? Comment or share your pictures!!!
(IWC - Suzanne P.)
References:
Graphic Credit - Jake Cuthbert (IWC)
https://www.space.com/881-date-changed-start-spring.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equinox
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/March_equinox
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/0/first-day-spring-2017-interesting-facts-vernal-equinox/
http://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/everything-you-need-to-know-vernal-or-spring-equinox