Fall Equinox and Daylight Saving Time

The first day of fall is this weekend, and that means the time will change

Fall begins in the Northern Hemisphere on Saturday, September 23, 2023, at 9:04 p.m. EDT. This is also the date of the autumnal equinox, which occurs when the sun crosses the celestial equator moving southward. On this day, the length of day and night are nearly equal all over the world.

The changing of the seasons is caused by the Earth's tilt on its axis. As the Earth orbits the sun, different parts of the planet are tilted more or less towards the sun. This causes the amount of daylight to vary throughout the year.

In the Northern Hemisphere, the days start getting shorter in September. This is because the Earth is tilted away from the sun, and the North Pole is pointing away from the sun. As a result, the sun's rays have to travel through more of the atmosphere to reach the Northern Hemisphere. This causes the sunlight to be weaker and the days to be shorter.

Daylight Saving Time ends on Sunday, November 5, 2023, at 2:00 a.m. local time

This is when we "fall back" and set our clocks back one hour. This will give us an extra hour of sleep, but it will also mean that the sun will set earlier in the evening.

Daylight Saving Time was first implemented in the United States in 1918 as a way to conserve energy. It has been used on and off ever since, and it is currently observed in most of the United States, as well as in many other countries around the world.

There is some debate about the benefits of Daylight Saving Time. Some people argue that it saves energy, while others argue that it does not. There is also some evidence that Daylight Saving Time can have negative effects on human health, such as increased risk of heart attack and stroke.

Despite the debate, Daylight Saving Time is still a popular practice in many parts of the world. It is a reminder that the seasons are changing and that the days are getting shorter.