Celebrate The Earliest Equinox Since 1896 This March 19, Thanks To Science
“This year, on March 19, 2020, the equinox will occur. For a brief moment in time, the Earth's axis will be oriented perfectly perpendicular to the Sun's rays, marking the instant where we transition from one season (winter in the northern hemisphere, summer in the southern) to the next (spring in the northern hemisphere, autumn in the southern). This marks the first year since 1896 where the equinox occurs on March 19, rather than 20 or 21, for all timezones in the United States.
Those of us who grew up in the 20th century likely remember the equinox typically occurring on either March 20 or 21, never seeing a March 19 equinox until the onset of this new century. And now, as we move forward, the equinox will get earlier and earlier every four years, with even parts of Europe and Africa experiencing a March 19 equinox later this century. But this is exactly according to plan, and the science of our calendar explains why.”
Have you noticed, looking ahead on your calendar, that the equinox seems earlier this year than usual? For the first time since 1896, all timezones within the United States will experience an equinox on March 19, rather than 20 or 21. In fact, this is a “problem” that’s getting worse with time! As the years continue to progress, each successive equinox will be 45 minutes earlier than the same equinox 4 years prior. By 2096, the equinox will occur at 10:04 AM (Eastern Time) on March 19, the earliest one we’ll experience since the adoption of the Gregorian calendar!
But this is all part of our calendar’s plan, and doesn’t represent anything remarkable at all. Come get the science of the earliest equinox in over a century today!
