By May Hunter, For Iron County Today
The equinox is being celebrated around the world-bringing autumn in the Northern Hemisphere and spring in the Southern Hemisphere. It is the day of the year when all points on Earth’s surface have the same length of daylight and darkness-12 hours of each. The autumn equinox in the Northern Hemisphere (and the spring equinox in the Southern Hemisphere) always falls on September 22, 23, or 24. The actual date varies because our calendar year does not exactly match the time it takes Earth to complete one orbit around the Sun. Earth takes approximately 365 days, 6 hours, and 9 minutes, not the exact 365 days of a standard calendar year. This extra time means the September equinox occurs about 6 hours later each year. A leap day every four years “resets” the calendar.
If Earth didn’t tilt, every day would be an equinox, as the Sun would always be closest to the equator. There would be no winters or summers as we know them. On the equinoxes, the part of Earth closest to the Sun is the equator, so everywhere from the North Pole to the South Pole receives the same number of daylight hours, just for those two days each year.
The Fall Equinox is upon us once again. We can feel it in the cooler temperatures, changing leaves, and equal length of day and night. This year it occurs on September 22. The perfect place to experience this spectacular event is at the Parowan Gap, about 13 miles north of Cedar City, where towering stone walls are etched with petroglyphs. This amazing site has many wonders, including an “equinox cairn” where you can watch the sunset align perfectly with the formation.
Why is it called “Equinox”?
On the days of the equinox, Earth’s axis is perpendicular to the Sun’s rays, meaning all regions receive about the same number of daylight hours. Night and day are nearly equal all over the world. The word “equinox” comes from Latin, meaning “equal night.”
Equilux: When Day and Night Are Actually Equal
The September equinox marks the beginning of spring and autumn. There are two equinoxes each year: one in March and one in September. In September, the Sun crosses the equator from north to south.
Celebrate the Fall Equinox with sunset viewing on Saturday, September 20th. The event begins between 6–7 p.m. at the Parowan Gap Historic Site, 13 miles north of Cedar City off Hwy 130. From Parowan Main Street, turn left at 400 North and drive straight west to the Gap.
Admission is free, and everyone is welcome! Please dress for cool fall weather and wear sturdy shoes for the short hike to the Equinox Cairn (½ mile each way).
For more information, call Nancy Dalton at 435-463-3735.
“Autumn shows us how beautiful it is to let things go.”
