Let’s welcome Spring with the Vernal Equinox. Vernal means spring. This week marks the vernal equinox — the beginning of astronomical spring in the Northern Hemisphere and astronomical fall (or autumn) in the Southern Hemisphere.
When is the Spring Equinox In 2025?
The Vernal Equinox or Spring Equinox will be observed at 09:01 UTC (2:31 pm IST) on March 20, 2025. As per NASA, “In 2025, the equinoxes will occur on March 20, at exactly 09:01 UTC (or 2:01 AM PDT), and again on September 22, at 19:19 UTC (or 11:19 AM PDT).”
It will see the transition from winter to spring as the Sun crosses the celestial equator.
On this day, the length of day and night aren’t precisely equal, NASA says. The date for that split depends on your latitude, and may occur a few days earlier or later than the equinox itself.
What is an equinox?
An equinox occurs twice every year, in March and September. It marks the exact moment when the center of the Sun crosses the plane of our planet’s equator.
Equinoxes are associated with the changing seasons.
In March, Northern Hemisphere observers welcome the longer, warmer days heralded by their vernal, or spring, equinox, but Southern Hemisphere observers note the shorter days – and longer, cooler nights – signaled by their autumnal, or fall, equinox. Come September, the reverse is true.
What happens during an equinox?
NASA explains that during the day of an equinox, observers at the equator will see the Sun directly overhead at noon. After the March equinox, observers anywhere on Earth will see the Sun’s path in the sky continue its movement further north every day until the June solstice, after which it begins traveling south.
The Sun crosses the equatorial plane again during the September equinox, and continues traveling south until the December solstice, when it heads back north once again. This movement is why some refer to the March equinox as the northward equinox, and the September equinox as the southward equinox.
Fun fact about equinoxes
The Sun shines equally on both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres during equinoxes, which is why they are the only times of the year when the Earth’s North and South Poles are simultaneously lit by sunlight.
