We welcomed the Autumn Equinox in the Northern Hemisphere on today Monday at 1:19 p.m. CDST

This is the day and time when the Sun is exactly above the Earth’s equator, NASA says. That means the Earth is not tilted toward or away from the sun, so our day and night are each roughly 12 hours long. The sun also rises due east on this day and sets due west. The Old Farmer’s Almanac will tell you that today is a good day to set your sundial, if you have one. We do. While “meteorological fall” started on September 1st, astronomical fall starts at the equinox.

Here’s how the National Weather Service explains an equinox:

“Think of the equinox as a moment of celestial balance. At that precise time, the Earth’s axis is not tilted toward or away from the sun. Instead, the sun’s most direct energy is focused squarely on the equator. This gives us nearly 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of darkness. From this point forward, the Northern Hemisphere will tilt progressively further away from the sun, causing our daylight hours ... to grow noticeably shorter until the winter solstice.”

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Photo Subject: "Weigela Snippet Dark Pink" https://plantoftheweek.com/plant-of-the-week-snippet-dark-pink-weigela/