Spring equinox 2023

 

Spring is finally here, and we’re exactly halfway between mid-winter and mid-summer. There are two equinoxes every year, one in March and the other in September.

The March equinox, also known as the vernal equinox, marks the beginning of astronomical spring in the northern hemisphere. This phenomenon has been observed – and celebrated – for thousands of years, and has important implications for astronomy and agriculture, as well as cultural traditions.

The spring equinox 2023 in the northern hemisphere is on Monday 20 March. The spring equinox marks the first day of spring, and the precise time of the equinox will be at 9:24pm GMT.

How does the equinox effect the aurorae?

Aurorae and major geomagnetic storms tend to occur more frequently around the equinoxes.

The Sun's magnetic field has two poles, the same as a bar magnet. These poles flip when solar activity peaks, every 11 years. A solar wind made up of charged particles carries the magnetic field away from the surface of the Sun and through the Solar System. © NASA/ Nick Arge

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