WHAT IS EQUINOX?

Earth is not alone in experiencing an equinox. All the planets in the solar system experience them.

Types of equinoxes

There are two types of equinoxes. Both the equinoxes that take place in March and September have their own name.

Vernal equinox takes place in March in the Northern hemisphere and in September it is called autumnal equinox. Both the names are reversed in the Southern hemisphere. In March, the vernal equinox becomes autumnal and in September autumnal is venal. This is because seasons are opposite in both hemispheres.

In the Northern hemisphere, the vernal equinox signals the beginning of spring. In the Southern hemisphere, autumn begins and thus it is called the autumnal equinox.

Equinox and culture

Equinoxes have been part of many cultures and traditions for thousands of years. Events like equinoxes mark the beginning of important days such as beginning of the year. Equinoxes dictate when to plant or harvest crops. Japan celebrates both equinoxes as a day to remember ancestors and marks them as public holidays. It is said that the Hindu temple Angkor Wat in Cambodia was made in such a way that the sun rises directly above its central temple during equinox. The temple was built between AD 1113 and AD 1150. There are many such cases found in different religious and cultural traditions.