Spring Equinox

 

 

 

 

The spring equinox will be on  March 19 at 10:06 pm in Chicago.  This marks the beginning of astronomical spring. Do you feel the March wind in your hair?  It could be raw and wintry, or maybe balmy and breezy...

Put the hats and scarves away. Open the windows!   No, maybe not today.

What is the  March Equinox anyway?  Here's how EarthSky explains it---

 

 The March equinox – aka the vernal equinox – marks the sun’s crossing above Earth’s equator, moving from south to north. Earth’s tilt on its axis is what causes this northward shift of the sun’s path across our sky at this time of year. Earth’s tilt is now bringing spring and summer to the Northern Hemisphere. At the same time, the March equinox marks the beginning of autumn – and a shift toward winter – in the Southern Hemisphere.

You can read more about the equinox from EarthSky here.  

Our ancestors celebrated spring, the signs of new green and the increasing light of our days.  There will  be gatherings at Stonehenge, and other ancient sites.

 In Chicago, they dyed the river green on March 16 for St.  Patrick's Day, and people were out wearing green.  

And on the spring equinox there will be photographers taking photos of the rising and setting of the sun between the tall buildings along the East-West grid of the streets of Chicago---a sight they call Chicagohenge. 

Here are some breathtaking photos of Chicagohenge from Spring 2022.  Happy Spring!