It's almost time to fall into fall, though in many parts of the country, it feels like we're already there. There are specific times when the astronomical seasons officially turn over -- for fall, it's the autumnal equinox.

During an equinox, places around the globe experience nearly equal amounts of daytime and nighttime. The second occurrence this year happens on Sunday.

In Japan, Autumnal Equinox Day is a national holiday. In Japanese, it’s known as Shubun no Hi (秋分の日), according to Coto Japanese Academy. The roots of the celebration are thought to go back to Shintoism and Buddhism.

The official first day of fall, otherwise known as the autumnal equinox, is this weekend in the Northern Hemisphere. According to Encyclopedia Britannica, it is one of only two days, the other being the vernal equinox, when the sun is directly above the Equator, essentially dividing night and day into equal portions.

The autumnal equinox brings fall to the Northern Hemisphere today as the sun passes directly over the equator at noon. But are day and night actually equal length today?

Today marks the autumnal equinox, or the first day of astronomical fall. Have you ever wondered why it occurs on a different day and at a different time each year? Let’s break it down! Let’s start with the basics.

The first day of fall is on Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024, in the Northern Hemisphere. These are just two different ways to carve up the year. Meteorological seasons are defined by the weather. They break down the year into three-month seasons based on annual temperature cycles.