The Beginnings of Fall

Today, the 22nd of September, marks the very first day of Fall in the northern hemisphere —also known as the Autumn Equinox. What exactly is an "Equinox?" Well, "Equi" is the Latin prefix for "equal" and "nox" is Latin for "night." This day is special because it is the day that the sun shines directly on the Earth's equator, providing equal amounts of daylight and darkness. The exact day varies every year, but it always falls on either the 22nd, 23rd, or 24th of September.

This special event will occur at 3:02 Central Time. After today, the nights will become longer and the days will become shorter. Soon, we will all be huddled around fireplaces on cool Autumn nights with sweaters, boots, and hot chocolate...not to mention, we will soon have to set our clocks back (Daylight Savings Time occurs on November 5th!)