Topic

Seasons

Equinoxes and solstices: the exact instants, the speed at which daylight changes, and what each turn of the year does to your observing nights.

The 23 September Equinox: the Time of Year When Night Gains Fastest

The equinox falls on 23 September at 00:05 UT. That day lasts not 12 hours but 12 h 08; true equality waits until the 25th; and above all night is advancing at its top speed: 3.6 minutes gained per day at the latitude of Paris, 5.4 at Helsinki, 2.4 at Athens. Why everything happens now, and what the equinox offers observers.

Un coucher de Soleil doré sur un horizon dégagé : à l'équinoxe, et seulement là, il se couche plein ouest.