Autumn equinox today! What we need to know and where it differs from that of spring

It's time to say goodbye to summer and welcome autumn.

The Autumnal Equinox entered today at 08:50 am on September 23rd. Daylight hours will now continue to gradually decrease until the next winter solstice on December 22.

The equinoxes are the days on which the length of the day is equal to that of the night, and the hours of darkness will increase until the day of the winter solstice, next December 22.

"At 8:50 a.m. on September 23, the Sun, in its apparent motion along the ecliptic, that is, the projection of the Earth's orbit in the sky, crossed the celestial equator from north to south," according to astrophysicist Gianluca Masi.

"From this moment the night will begin to prevail, taking revenge on the summer season and the long days. This will undoubtedly make astronomers somewhat happier, who will have more time to admire the sky.”

The term equinox is derived from the Latin 'aequa nox', meaning equal night, to describe this special moment of the year that only occurs twice, the next equinox marking the beginning of spring. This also means that for those at the equator on the day of the equinoxes, the Sun is exactly at the zenith, 90 degrees to the Earth's surface, and objects on the ground cast no shadows.