TODAY: SEPTEMBER EQUINOX!!

Today, 22nd September 2016, at 14:21 GMT we have the September Equinox!

There are 2 equinoxes every year – in September and March – when the sun shines directly on the equator and the length of day and night is nearly equal.

Earth's Axial Tilt

Earth's axis is tilted at an angle of about 23.4° in relation to the ecliptic, the imaginary plane created by Earth's path around the Sun.
On any other day of the year, either the southern hemisphere or the Northern Hemisphere tilts a little towards the Sun. But on the 2 equinoxes, the tilt of Earth's axis is perpendicular to the Sun's rays, like the illustrations show.

Why "Equinox"?

On the equinox, night and day are nearly exactly the same length – 12 hours – all over the world. This is the reason it's called an "equinox", derived from Latin, meaning "equal night". However, even if this is widely accepted, it isn't entirely true. In reality equinoxes don't have exactly 12 hours of daylight