Our astronomy contributor, Jean Creighton, says it’s a special time of year. Earlier this week, we officially slid into fall and experienced the autumnal equinox (or we did if we were up at 2:50 a.m. on Monday, Sept. 23). While our calendars mark the first official day of fall, the autumnal equinox is more than just a day.
"The definition of an equinox is when the path of the sun, which is called the ecliptic, crosses the equator of the Earth, projected on the sky," Creighton explains. "It's a time and a place in the sky."
Creighton says that the autumnal equinox affects more than just the weather and the length of time that the sun is out. It also impacts everyday things in life, the way we do things, and also our mood.
"I think we really have needs to mark change and the seasons, sense they have real consequences. You want to be stopping, acknowledging, thanking the earth for the bounty because you know what happens if you don't get it," says Creighton.
She joined Lake Effect's Bonnie North to discuss the change that the autumnal equinox brings to our everyday lives:
