Spring equinox: When is the first day of spring 2025 and what is the vernal equinox?
Spring equinox: When is the first day of spring 2025 and what is the vernal equinox?
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At this time of year, it can sometimes feels like the cold and dreary winter weather will be neverending. To cheer yourself up, you might be wondering when sunnier days are on the horizon. The spring equinox, or the vernal equinox as it is more formally known, marks the astronomical start of spring, when the sun passes north over the celestial equator, a notional equator that extends from the Earth’s actual equator.
Here's all you need to know about the vernal – or spring – equinox. The spring equinox begins on Thursday, March 20, which is the first day of astronomical spring. Meteorological spring falls on March 1. The Met Office says that astronomical seasons “refer to the position of Earth's orbit in relation to the sun”, whereas meteorological seasons are “based on the annual temperature cycle”, to coincide with the calendar.
This year, the spring equinox takes place in the northern hemisphere on March 20 and at 9.01 am UTC (universal time). The spring equinox always falls on one of three days towards the end of March. An equinox is a phenomenon that only happens twice a year – once during the spring equinox and once during the autumn equinox. In the northern hemisphere, the spring equinox happens around March 20, marking the end of winter and the beginning of spring.
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The autumn equinox occurs around September 23 in the northern hemisphere and marks the beginning of autumn. An equinox happens between the summer and winter solstices, marking the point when the sun positions itself exactly above the equator before crossing it.
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