Astronomical Spring Equinox Marks Equal Day and Night

General

Imad Mujahid, an astronomy expert and member of the Arab Union for Astronomy and Space Sciences (AUASS), along with being a fellow of the British Royal Astronomical Society, revealed that astronomical calculations pinpoint the spring equinox for the current year occurring tomorrow, Wednesday, at 6:06 a.m. Kingdom time.

He explained that during this event, the sun will be directly perpendicular to the equator, effectively dividing the Earth into its northern and southern hemispheres. This marks the astronomical commencement of the spring season, with both day and night being of equal length across the globe, effectively concluding the approximately 89-day winter season.

Mujahid elaborated that during the vernal equinox, the sun rises precisely from the eastern horizon at 6:35 a.m., maintaining an angle of 89 degrees, 37 minutes, and 11 seconds. Conversely, it sets precisely at the western horizon at 6:54 p.m., at an angle of 270 degrees and 37 minutes, lasting for 12 hours and 9 minutes. Subsequently, the ni
ght spans 11 hours and 51 minutes, resulting in nearly equal durations of day and night worldwide.

Furthermore, following the vernal equinox, the sun’s apparent trajectory shifts northward, leading to rising temperatures and longer days, culminating in the summer solstice on June 21, when the sun reaches its maximum altitude north of the equator at 23.5 degrees, marking the longest day of the year and the shortest night.

Source: Jordan News Agency