Equinox of day and night. The sultry "waist" of the earth, when day is equal to night

The day of the vernal equinox (Spring Equinox) is one of the most unique natural phenomena, the essence of which, in scientific language, boils down to the fact that “at the moment of the equinox, the center of the Sun in its visible movement along the ecliptic crosses the celestial equator.”

On this day, the Earth, rotating around its imaginary axis passing through the poles, while simultaneously moving around the Sun, is in such a position in relation to the luminary that the sun's rays carrying thermal energy, fall vertically towards the equator. The sun moves from the southern hemisphere to the northern, and on these days in all countries the day is almost equal to night.

There are spring and autumn equinoxes. Universal time (in other time zones these dates may differ by a day) in the northern hemisphere spring equinox occurs 20th of March when the Sun moves from the southern hemisphere to the northern, and autumn equinox occurs September 22 or 23(in 2019 - September 23), when the Sun moves from the northern hemisphere to the southern. In the southern hemisphere, on the contrary, the March equinox is considered autumn, and the September equinox is considered spring.

The spring and autumn equinoxes are considered the astronomical beginning of the respective seasons. The period of time between two equinoxes of the same name is called the tropical year. This year is today and is accepted for measuring time. In a tropical year approximately 365.2422 sunny days. Because of this, “approximately” the equinox falls on different time days, each year moving forward by about 6 hours.

On the Day of the Vernal Equinox, many peoples and nationalities of the Earth begin New Year: Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan - almost all the countries of the Great Silk Road associate the beginning of the new year with this natural phenomenon.

The ancient scientists of China, India, and Egypt knew very well about the days of the vernal equinox. In ancient times, the day of the spring equinox was considered a great holiday.

In religion in ancient times, the day of the vernal equinox was also given considerable importance. The date of Easter, which is celebrated every year at different times, was counted from the day of the vernal equinox as follows: March 21 - the first full moon - the first Sunday, which was considered a holiday.

Many peoples have preserved the day of the vernal equinox as a holiday in the calendar. For example, in Farsi it is called , which means “new day.” Rooted in the traditions of ancient farmers of the Middle East and Central Asia, the holiday has become an integral part of the culture of many peoples professing Islam.

In the CIS, the day of the equinox is National holiday celebrated by Tatars, Kazakhs, Bashkirs, Kyrgyz, Tajiks, Uzbeks and many other peoples. In a number of countries, Navruz has been declared a public holiday, and March 21 is a day off.

On this day, light and darkness are divided equally. In ancient times, when there were no calendars, spring was determined by the sun. It was believed that it was from this day that renewal in nature began: the first spring thunder, the swelling of buds on the trees, the lush sprouting of greenery.

The day of the vernal equinox was especially revered in the pagan faith. It was believed that on this day in the annual cycle, Spring, personifying the revival and rebirth of nature, replaces Winter.

When the Sun moves from the northern hemisphere to the southern hemisphere, the autumn equinox occurs.

When talking about equinox dates, we should distinguish between a date based on universal time and a date for a specific time zone:

if the equinox occurs before 12:00 universal time, in some countries located west of the prime meridian, this day may not yet have arrived and according to local time, the arrival of the equinox will be considered 1 day earlier;

if the equinox occurs later than 12:00 universal time, then in some countries located east of the prime meridian, the next day may already have arrived and the date of the equinox will be 1 more.

According to the creators of the Gregorian calendar, the “official” date of the vernal equinox is March 21 (literally “12 days before the Kalends of April”), since this was the date of the vernal equinox during the Council of Nicaea.

Last time in this century the vernal equinox fell on March 21 in 2007 and will continue to fall on March 20 or even March 19 in the 21st century.

The spring and autumn equinoxes are astronomical events in which day equals night and mark the change of seasons. We know that the spring and autumn equinoxes occur at the moment when our Sun, in its annual movement along the ecliptic, crosses the celestial equator. These points are respectively located in the constellations Pisces and Virgo. The vernal equinox is the beginning of astronomical spring.

On the days of the solstices, our daylight reaches the extreme points of its annual path across the sky - in summer it deviates 23.4 degrees north from the celestial equator, in winter - 23.4 degrees south. Therefore, in June, the Sun illuminates the northern hemisphere of the Earth more - and at the moment of solstice, summer begins here - and at the end of December - the southern hemisphere, and at this time winter begins here (and summer in the southern hemisphere).

Below you can see the exact dates of the spring and autumn equinoxes for the city of Moscow, just like the winter and summer solstices.

These dates were among the most revered in the pre-Christian period. Solstice, rotation, equinox, solstice are the names of solar holidays, which are also called the four hypostases of the Slavic Dazhdbog, which is the Sun itself - the son of Svarog.

Kolyada - winter solstice (December 21-22);
- Maslenitsa or Komoeditsa - the day of the vernal equinox (March 21-22);
- Kupailo (Kupala) – summer solstice (June 21-22);
- Radogoshch (Svetovit, Veresen, Tausen) – autumn equinox (September 22-23);

Kolyada is the winter solstice or the longest night of the year. During this period, the young sun Kolyada replaces the old sun Svetovit in his post. That is why the daylight hours begin to increase from this day on. Replaced by the church on Christmas Day.

Maslenitsa or Komoeditsa - the day of the vernal equinox (day and night are equal in time), farewell to winter, burning of the effigy of Madder, welcoming spring and the Slavic New Year. The date March 21-22 is also the beginning of astronomical spring. From this day on, the day becomes longer than the night. Yarilo-Sun replaces Kolyada and drives away Winter-Madder. Traditionally, this bracelet was celebrated for two whole weeks.

Kupailo is the day of the summer solstice. The longest day and shortest night of the year. The last day of Rusal Week or Rusalia. Kupala is one of the oldest holidays, which has kept many traditions and customs unchanged to this day, for example: the funeral of Yarila, who is replaced by the God of the summer sun Kupala, the gathering medicinal herbs, searching for a fern flower, etc. Kupailo is also a great holiday, which is now replaced by the church on the birthday of John the Baptist.

Radogoshch (Svetovit, Veresen, Tausen) - the day of the autumnal equinox (day and night are equal in time). On this day, the Sun-Old Man Svetovit comes into his own. The night becomes longer than the day. It is both a solar holiday and a celebration of the end of the harvest. Substituted for church at Christmas Holy Mother of God.

Since ancient times, people have known what an equinox is, although the physical essence of the phenomenon could only be explained with the advent of astronomy. There are two days a year - the spring and autumn equinox, which are very important. At this time, the Sun passes a certain point where the ecliptic and equator intersect.

Astronomical event

For astronomy, the days of the solstice and equinox play an important role. So what is the equinox and why does it occur?

As is known, an astronomical event is associated with the inclination of the axis of our planet and the orbit of the star. The Earth is tilted at 23.5 degrees and has a Southern and Northern Hemisphere that receive almost equal amounts of light. Because of this, the length of day and night is almost equal throughout the planet, with the exception of certain areas. But twice a year the lighting is uniform throughout the entire planet. After these two days a year, the nights in the Northern Hemisphere become longer and the days become shorter.

Typically, sunlight reaches the planet's surface only at one pole, while it is night at the other. And only on the days of the equinox do the rays of the Sun reach both poles so that they illuminate half of the planet, while the other half remains night.

Dates

The equinox number always shifts. This is due to the fact that the Earth rotates around our star not in a circle, but in an ellipse. As a result of this movement, the spring equinox falls on March 20-12, and the autumn equinox on September 22-23. The day itself is equal in length to the night.

The vernal equinox

One of the unique natural phenomena is the day of the spring equinox. At this moment the Sun crosses the celestial equator. During the movement of the Earth and the Sun, a moment arises when the rays of the luminary fall vertically on the equator. During the transition of the Sun from one hemisphere of the planet to another, day and night remain equal.

The day of the equinox is considered to be the beginning of the astronomical season. The interval from spring to spring day considered a tropical year. It has approximately 365.24 days. Because of this partial 366th day, the day moves forward by almost six hours.

What is the equinox for people and how does it affect the planet? For many peoples, the New Year begins on the day of the spring equinox. This day is of great importance for Iran, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Afghanistan. Some other Silk Road countries also associate the beginning of the new year with this natural phenomenon.

On this day, darkness and light are equal. There was a time when there were no calendars. At that time, the beginning of spring was determined precisely by the day of the equinox. It is believed that from this day the renewal of nature begins - the trees wake up, the first thunder can be heard, greenery begins to grow.

On the occasion of the spring equinox, our ancestors rolled burning wheels down a hill as a sign of respect to the Sun, its symbol. Celebrations took place all over the country - people burned bonfires, jumped over them, danced, and played tug of war. On the spring equinox, they prepared baked goods and treated them to loved ones, relatives, and gave them as gifts to their ancestors.

Autumn day

What is the equinox and when does it occur, as celebrated by the peoples of the world? An autumn day coincides with a large number of different celebrations.

IN Ancient Greece A beautiful legend was associated with the autumn equinox, according to which the goddess of fertility Persephone returns to Hades in the underworld. On this day, various magical rituals should be performed and the successes and failures of the past months should be assessed.

In China, the Autumn Festival, or Moon Festival, is held on this day. This day celebrates the abundance of the harvest. Traditionally, moon pie is prepared on this day, to which goose eggs, lotus, dried fruits, and sesame are added.

Higan is celebrated in Japan. Usually on this day the Japanese commemorate the deceased and decorate their graves. Higan began to be celebrated back in the nineteenth century.

In mid-autumn, the pagans celebrated Mabon - a holiday of the cycle of the seasons. It marks the harvest of the second harvest, the beginning of winter preparations. It was customary on this day to “go out into nature”, collect leaves and seeds.

After the equinox, when our star moves to the Northern Hemisphere from the Southern, an astronomical change of seasons begins on Earth. So, spring comes to the Northern Hemisphere, and autumn comes to the Southern Hemisphere.

On the days of the equinox on the planet, day and night are equal to 12 hours. Although this statement has a small caveat, because at the North Pole and in the southern regions time is running otherwise. The “almost” equal day and night are not actually equal. If you carry out precise mathematical calculations, the day turns out to be longer than the night. Its duration is 12 hours 12 minutes.

Since ancient times, people have known what an equinox is and how the Sun moves across the sky. These days the star rises strictly in the east and sets strictly in the west. After the spring equinox, the Sun will begin to rise higher, and the length of the day will increase. In autumn the process occurs in reverse direction: The days become shorter and the nights become longer.

Our ancestors believed that on the days of the equinox you could find out your husband’s name and make wishes that would come true.

An equinox is an astronomical period when the center of the Sun “crosses” the celestial equator, while it is completely perpendicular to the Earth's equator. If we talk about the northern hemisphere, then at the autumn equinox, namely on September 22 or 23, the Sun moves from the northern hemisphere to the southern. And at this time the day is almost equal to the night, which is why it got its name. And the Sun rises almost directly in the east and sets directly in the west.

Each nation celebrates this day in its own way, having its own traditions. For example, in Rus' it is customary to bake cabbage or lingonberry pies, organize festivities, and insert rowan tassels between window frames as a talisman. And among the Celts it is a harvest festival, a holiday of autumn and wisdom. And they have their own rituals - they first show everyone the best gifts of summer, and then eat them, which guarantees enough food for the whole year.

Autumn breaks up with summer,
She sometimes cries, sometimes she laughs,
Then suddenly it starts to rain,
Then suddenly everything will be flooded with sunshine,
Equinox of nature,
Variety of weather!
Day today is equal to night,
Tomorrow it will become shorter
But that's tomorrow, and now,
Happy equinox to all of you!
And although nature fades away,
Don't let this scare you,
She needs to rest too
Gain new strength, take a nap,
And I, in autumn bad weather,
I wish you LOVE and HAPPINESS!

Autumn is in the yard,
The leaves are gilded with a brush,
And today is day and night
Exactly the same!

The equinox has arrived
A star fell from the sky,
Let her bring you
Happiness, joy for the whole year!

Today the day has become equal to the night,
Autumn sends us its greetings.
I wish you a magical day
I wish you health and many years to come.

Equinox today -
A magical, difficult day.
May a surprise be sent to you
By wayward fate.

On the autumn equinox,
I congratulate you,
Peace, harmony
I wish in my heart.

Let the foliage cover
From troubles and insults,
And the path to balance
Will be open.

The day of the autumnal equinox is today,
And there is no reason to be sad.
It's time to send your soul into flight,
She should soar with joy.

I want smiles on this day to see the sea,
Let the veil of lies disappear forever.
So that your families prosper,
Let their hearts drink in love.

Today we will celebrate the holiday.
After all, day and night are equal again!
Winter is not far away,
Don't borrow heat from us!

The equinox is now
Let the sun shine in the skies
To give us a reserve of strength,
To live like in fairy-tale dreams!

The day has settled on the scales
The second night settled in,
Happy children of the universe,
Noisy son and quiet daughter.

The minutes were divided in half,
The two divided the hours,
Autumn equinox day
You gave us a gift today.

I wish that nights and days
You filled me to the brim with happiness,
So that we can live in harmony
And the minutes of love were not counted.

Autumn is playing outside the window,
I brushed the leaves off the apple tree,
Equinox is visiting us
Stopped by for a day.

Day and night do not argue at all -
On this autumn day.
The sun rose above the earth,
The Quarter takes its source again!

May you achieve it in life
You're the same height
Let it be like the sun at its zenith
You always shine for people!

Day and night have already come together as equals,
So, we have crossed that threshold,
When summer was full,
And now it’s an autumn evening

Reminded us that frost is near,
The cold, the cold will soon be here,
Autumn will take possession of the lush garden,
And shake off his confident arrogance.

Give me your hand, let's sit with you,
On a park bench by the stream,
We are always - both summer and winter,
We'll be together - just you and me!

Congratulations: 25 in verse.

The spring equinox, or the time when the length of the day is equal to the night, falls annually in March - and in 2018 this day will occur on the 20th.

The equinox, that is, the time when the length of day and night are equal, occurs twice a year - in spring and autumn. Changing times in modern world are determined by the calendar, and in ancient times these days were considered the change of seasons. Scientists consider the spring equinox to be the astronomical beginning of spring, which lasts three months until the summer solstice - in 2018 it falls on June 21.

Therefore, since ancient times, people have considered the day of the spring equinox a long-awaited and mystical event.

When day equals night

The spring equinox arrives when the Sun moves from the southern hemisphere of the celestial sphere to the northern. At this time, the Earth, moving in its orbit, will cover a quarter of the year's journey. The equal duration of light and dark time of day is explained by the fact that the two hemispheres will be illuminated exactly half by the luminary.

The seasons of the hemispheres change from the day of the spring equinox. From this time on, astronomical spring begins in the northern hemisphere of the Earth, and astronomical autumn begins in the southern hemisphere. And this continues until the summer solstice.

Six months later, when the Sun, continuing its movement, moves from the southern hemisphere to the northern, the equinox will come again, but the Sun at this time is with opposite side orbits.

The date of the vernal equinox is historically considered to be March 21. At the First Ecumenical Council in 325, it was on this day that it was decided general rule by definition of the day of Easter celebration.

According to the rule, Christians celebrate the Bright Resurrection of Christ on the first Sunday after the spring full moon, but not earlier than the spring equinox.

The spring equinox falls on different dates every year, since it does not have a fixed day or hour and shifts by almost six hours every year. Due to the fact that the astronomical year differs from the calendar year, the vernal equinox may fall from March 19 to March 21.

In leap years, the earliest dates of the equinoxes are observed, and the latest are observed in the years that precede the leap years. IN leap year the time is adjusted and the equinox returns to its previous date.

Traditions and customs

Many peoples of the world day of spring equinox Since ancient times, it was considered a great holiday - magical and ritual. Spring festivals in ancient and medieval times were celebrated with joy and rituals invoking the fertility of the earth and the well-being of the people.

The Great Sphinx was built by the ancient Egyptians so that during the spring equinox it pointed directly towards rising Sun. Many peoples have kept this holiday in their calendar to this day. The holiday of Navruz, which in Farsi means “new day,” has its roots in the tradition of the ancient farmers of Central Asia and the Middle East. For many peoples who profess Islam, the holiday has become an integral part of their culture - the day of the equinox is celebrated as a national holiday by the Kyrgyz, Kazakhs, Tajiks, Tatars, Uzbeks, Bashkirs and many others.

On the day of the vernal equinox, the New Year is celebrated in many eastern countries, including Afghanistan and Iran. Among the Germans and Celts, the vernal equinox was associated with the rebirth of spring and indicated the beginning of the agricultural season. Housewives, in order to please the goddess Ostara (one of the most “ancient” goddesses, who was worshiped at the end of the 2nd millennium BC) and to welcome spring in a special way, painted eggs and baked wheat buns. The Slavic holiday Komoeditsa-Maslenitsa is also timed to coincide with the spring equinox - on this day people said goodbye to winter and welcomed spring, which embodies the rebirth of nature. In the old days, people believed that the more fun the holiday was, the more generous nature would be to them.

The day of the spring equinox in Rus' was called “Magpies” because at that time many birds flew in, namely 40, and the lark, which returned first, was considered a symbol of the holiday. On this day, according to an ancient custom, cookies were baked in the shape of a bird and given from the entire village to the one who saw the lark first. Then the remaining sweets were distributed to the children so that they could invite the larks, who, according to legend, would bring spring with them. In many countries this day is magical, as it is the only one of the year when spring meets spring. Usually at this time they tell fortunes and solemnly burn an effigy of winter, welcoming the long-awaited spring.

Signs

On the day of the spring equinox, according to signs, they monitor the weather, and if it is warm on this day, then there will be no cold or frost until summer. The day of the spring equinox is best spent with your family or with a loved one - on this day you cannot quarrel, get upset, or sort things out with loved ones. In order to spend the whole next year without worries and not think about bad things, the day of spring balance should be celebrated cheerfully. People believe that a wish made on this day will definitely come true.

On the day of the spring equinox, they tell fortunes about love - they tell fortunes using Tarot cards, classical cards, runes, and oracles. And in order to get an accurate answer, at the moment of fortune telling you should concentrate and ask a specific question. Since the holiday was preceded by Maslenitsa (in 2017 from February 20 to 26 inclusive), many girls use similar fortune telling. So, for example, on this day they also baked pancakes, and if the first pancake was not lumpy, then they believed that they would get married this year. On the spring equinox, girls guessed the gender of their first child; to do this, they kept track of who festive table take the first pancake. If it was a man, they were expecting a boy, and if it was a woman, they were expecting a girl.

People considered dreams on the spring equinox to be prophetic, so girls used to tell fortunes about their husbands before going to bed. To do this, two aces – a spades and a diamonds – were placed under the pillow, as well as a ten of clubs, a ring, a key and a piece of pie, having previously wrapped all the items in a white scarf.

The future was judged the next morning, depending on what was dreamed about: a ring for an imminent wedding, a key or bread for success at work, a pie for luck and joy, a card of spades for trouble, a diamond card for wealth, club - for moving.

The spring equinox is a magical period, a time for the manifestation of feelings, and if you have long wanted to confess your feelings to your loved one, you need to do it on this day.