HAPPY SPRING EQUINOX FROM ASTRO DOG EVERYBODY!!! 20/03/2025 🌎
And so, a new season begins. The astronomical event known as the Spring equinox occurs today (March 20th) marking the changing of seasons here on Earth and the transition between Summer and Spring for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere. On this day we will experience almost equal lengths of day and night. Happy Spring Equinox everyone! 😊🌍🍄🌼🌷🌸🌿🐝✨
If you'd like to read some more information about the Spring equinox, please keep reading... :)
THE SPRING/VERNAL EQUINOX
Usually, due to the Earths tilt (of 23.5 degrees) the Northern and Southern hemispheres experience different amounts of sunlight, with one hemisphere experiencing more sunlight than the other due to it tilting towards the sun. However, there are two times every year in March and September where both hemispheres do not tilt towards or away from the sun and therefore receive equal or very close to equal amounts of sunlight.
We experience almost equal lengths of day and night during this time, however due to an effect called atmospheric refraction (where the Earth’s atmosphere bends the suns light) daytime appears to last slightly longer than 12 hours.
During an equinox the sun rises exactly due East and sets exactly due west. This is because the Earths equator is perfectly in line with the sun’s celestial equator.
The March equinox can occur between March 19th and 21st (this year it occurs on the 20th March), the September equinox can occur between September 21st and 24th (this year it occurs on the 22nd September).
The precise time of the March equinox this year will be at 09:01 GMT.
Depending on the season, an equinox is called either a Spring (Vernall) or Autumn (Autumnal) equinox. In the Southern Hemisphere, these dates are reversed.
GALAXY SEASON
In the realm of astrophotography, although we will begin to lose the beautiful, dark starry skies, and it will become difficult to image nebulae, we are now entering galaxy season. Galaxy Season refers to the period in Spring when the night sky offers up a buffet of incredible galaxies to observe and photograph. This season lasts from early March until Mid-May, with late March often being referred to as the peak time to be able to view galaxies. As an astrophotographer, It's an incredible feeling that we can not only view deep into the cosmos and view other galaxies full of countless stars from here on earth, but to be able to capture that too. I can't wait to try out our new equipment this season. 🌌😍🔭✨
MILKY WAY CORE SEASON
The start of Spring also heralds the return of the Milky Way core in our nighttime skies. This means landscape astrophotographers will have many opportunities to capture stunning images of our home galaxy set against our beautiful landscapes here on Earth. We ourselves are very excited about the return of the Milky Way core and use some of our new equipment to capture images of the Milky Way.
SPRING EQUINOX AND SOLAR ACTIVITY
It is often thought that March and particularly around the Spring equinox is one of the most geomagnetic times of yea, and we might just be in for a treat. But only time will tell. All of our fingers and toes are crossed for some great Aurora Borealis displays before the aurora season draws to an end due to the skies becoming ever brighter. 💚💜💙✨
NOCTILUCENT CLOUD SEASON IS NEAR
Not only this, but as the aurora season slowly draws to an end, we will begin to enter Noctilucent cloud season (from mid-May). Noctilucent roughly means "night shining" in Latin. This is such a stunning phenomenon to behold and witness, often accompanied by stunning patterns/formations that slowly and gracefully move in the twilight sky. These are beautiful, ghostly, shimmering clouds are formed from ice crystals high up in Earth’s upper atmosphere and become visible only when illuminated by sunlight from beneath the horizon during astronomical twilight. We had some great Noctilucent clouds displays the last few years, so fingers crossed we get treated this year. 💙
EQUINOX RELATED CULTURAL AND RELIGIOUS EVENTS AND OTHER INTERESTING EQUINOX FACTS
• The annual date of Easter and the Jewish Passover are tied to the equinox – the holidays are celebrated on the first Sunday after the first Full Moon after the vernal equinox.
• Ancient people knew about equinoxes for centuries. For example, the Pyramid of Kukulcan, built by the Maya between the 8th and 12th centuries A.D., was designed to perfectly align with the movement of the Sun. Every equinox, shadows cast by the Sun created an illusion of a giant snake crawling down the pyramid’s steps. The Maya believed it to be the feathered serpent god Kukulkan.
• Modern pagans and curious tourists gather every year at Stonehenge in England for the first day of spring. The prehistoric monument is said to have had a celestial observatory function that was related to the ancient rituals.
• The March equinox is a national holiday in Japan, called Shunbun No Hi. It’s the day when the Japanese honour their ancestors, stay home with their families and visit the graves of their deceased relatives.
• For the Central Asian communities, the March equinox represents the New Year. The holiday called Nowruz (translated as “new day” from Persian) comes from Zoroastrian tradition and can be celebrated for up to 13 days.
• The world-famous Indian celebration Holi is also connected to the March equinox. It takes place right before the edge of the seasons, and unites people into one great colourful party. People dance, sing, and play with colourful powders.
• Astronomers in the ancient world chose the vernal equinox as the zero point to measure the movements of stars and it soon came into use. Already in Julius Caesar’s notes we see that he planned his sea forays considering the equinox.
• At the equator, the Sun is directly overhead at noon on the days of equinoxes. If you put a vertical stick in the ground at this moment, it will cast no shadow.
• The Earth isn’t the only planet that has equinoxes – in fact, every planet with an axial tilt experiences them.
• There are four astronomical dates that mark the beginning of a new season. We already know the first two – the September and the March equinoxes. Another two are the June and the December solstices – the moments when we experience the greatest number of hours of daylight (the June solstice) and the fewest hours of daylight (the December solstice).
• The fastest sunsets are always at the equinoxes, no matter if you live in the Northern or Southern Hemisphere. The slowest sunsets and sunrises, on the contrary, happen around the time of the solstice. The reason is that at an equinox, the Sun rises due east and sets due west, so it’s the shortest path for it to sink below the horizon.
WHAT ELSE IS THERE IN THE NIGHT SKY THROUGHOUT MARCH?
If you would like to know more about the rest of the celestial treats that can be seen throughout March, please head to our YouTube channel to watch our Night Sky Guide video for March 2025.
ASTRO DOGS THOUGHTS
Whilst we're very sad to see our long, dark nights disappear, it's been a joy to see other things come to life. We've started to notice lots of glimmers of Spring throughout our recent adventures. From the weather warming, to new buds forming, greenery appearing, ramsons beginning to spread releasing a wild garlic aroma through the Glenn and flowers are beginning to appear. First there were early spring snow drops, then the crocuses began to appear and then the first daffodils popped up a few weeks back now. Soon our woodlands areas will be awash with beautiful wild bluebells too. 🌞🌱🌷🌻
We've been blessed with an abundance of bird song on our adventures. Soon animals will begin to come out of hibernation too and we will start to see the little lambs and we’ve already seen lots of bunny rabbits hopping about with their little fluffy tails, as well as seeing deer, owls, robins, foxes, badgers, toads, frogs and pheasants on our recent adventures. Hopefully we are able to have lots of campfires by the setting sun and twilight skies this summer. 🔥😊🐤🐝🐞🦋🦌🦊🦡🕊️🐑🐄🐇🦆🦦🐿️🐸
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