The Autumnal Equinox

The coming of fall is bittersweet for some but for others, it's the best time of the year! In some parts of North America, the landscape turns vibrant shades of orange and red and there is a freshness in the air that is unrivaled by any other season. In the South, the heavy heat of summer lessens and there is a welcoming coolness.

The word equinox comes from the Latin words for "equal night." The fall and spring equinoxes are the only days of the year in which the hours of day and night are equal as the Sun crosses the celestial equator. The Earth's axis isn't tilted at all, and with no tilt, the North and South Poles are virtually straight up and down. 

From here on out, the temperatures begin to drop and the days start to get shorter.

Signs of Fall
The landscape silently explodes with vibrant colors of red, yellow, and orange. The leaves begin to drop off the trees, providing endless hours of jumping into leaf piles for kids and raking them back up for parents! Baseball season hits the homestretch, while football season is just warming up. Temperatures begin to drop, and nights begin to get longer, and animals are storing up for the long haul of winter.