September Equinox 2021: Date Time and Meaning

 When is the First Day of Autumn 2021 in Northern Hemisphere

The fall equinox is also known as September equinox in Northern Hemisphere. But for Southern Hemisphere, the same equinox is in March. Fall season is synonym of autumn and hence this equinox is also known as autumn equinox. It falls on 22^nd September 2021 at 7.21 PM UTC time. Further in this post, we explain what happens during the autumn equinox.

There are two equnioxes and two solstices in a year in both the hemispheres. But they occur on opposite times in Northern and Southern Hemispheres. The opposite of September euqinox happens on 22nd or 21st of March that is called March Equinox or Spring Equinox. The spring equinox is also known as vernal equinox. 

What is Fall Equinox: Meaning and Significance

The equinoxes and solstices have their own importance in cultures and astronomy. On the first day of fall, the sun crosses the equator of the earth and right above the equator. Hence the length of the day and night are exactly equal. This is true for both the equinoxes; fall or autumn equinox and spring equinox. Sun starts moving towards south from north. Due to this the Northern Hemisphere starts getting cooler while the Southern Hemisphere starts getting warmer. Though the even the happens on the planet once, the exact time varies in different time zones.

Fall Equinox 2021 in USA Canada

We have given below exact time of the first day of fall 2021 in USA and Canada. Since the countries follow multiple time zones, the different timings are mentioned here.

The First Day of Fall / Fall Equinox Date and Time

EDT – 22^nd September 2021 at 3.21 PM

CDT – 22^nd September 2021 at 2.21 PM

MDT – 22^nd September 2021 at 1.21 PM

PDT – 22^nd September 2021 at 12.21 PM

You can convert the above time zone to your local time to know the exact time of autumnal equinox.  As the autumn begins, the sun rises later and sets sooner. Nights start getting longer and days become shorter day by day.

In Eastern world, the season is known as autumn while it is popularly known as fall in western countries. Likewise September equinox, March equinox is also the day when the night and day are of equal length. Similarly, the summer solstice is the longest day of the year and the winter solstice is the shortest day of the year.

In hotter regions of Asia, autumn is also a season of mild and balanced weather as the extreme heat of summer is gone. We will be soon publishing when the first day of winter 2021 on our blog is. Keep following us to learn the full moon dates and new moon dates for all the months.