Spring Equinox 2018 in Northern Hemisphere will be at 12:15 PM on Tuesday March 20
The March equinox[1][2] or Northward equinox[3][4] is the equinox on the Earth when the subsolar point appears to leave the southern hemisphere and cross the celestial equator, heading northward as seen from Earth. In the Northern Hemisphere the March equinox is known as the vernal equinox, and in the Southern Hemisphere as the autumnal equinoxen.wikipedia.org/...
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We amicably discuss animals, weather, climate, soil, plants, waters and note life’s patterns.
We invite you to note what you are seeing around you in your own part of the world, and to share your observations in the comments below.
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Vernal equinox, two moments in the year when the Sun is exactly above the Equator and day and night are of equal length; also, either of the two points in the sky where the ecliptic (the Sun's annual pathway) and the celestial equator intersectwww.britannica.com/...
SPRING EQUINOX ANCIENT MARKERS
Scientific explanation aside, our ancestors were more connected to the Sun than we are today. They observed its pathway across the sky; they tracked how the sunrise, sunset, and day length changed, using the Sun (and Moon) as a clock and calendar.
There are many ancient sites that mark the equinoxes (and solstices).
At Chichen Itza in Mexico, Mayans built a huge pyramid around the year A.D. 1000. The play of the Sun’s light on it signals the beginning of the seasons. On the spring equinox, the light pattern looks like a snake. Mayans called this day “the return of the Sun serpent.”www.almanac.com/...
Meteorologically speaking, the official first day of spring is March 1 (and the last is May 31). Weather scientists divide the year into quarters to make it easier to compare seasonal and monthly statistics from one year to the next. The meteorological seasons are based on annual temperature cycles rather than on the position of Earth in relation to the Sun, and they more closely follow the Gregorian calendarwww.almanac.com/...
SIGNS OF THE EQUINOX IN NATURE
The vernal equinox signals the beginning of nature’s renewal in the Northern Hemisphere!
- Worms begin to emerge from the earth. In fact, the March Full Moon is called “The Full Worm Moon” for this reason.
- Notice the arc of the Sun across the sky as it shifts toward the north. Birds are migrating northward, along with the path of the Sun.www.almanac.com/...
Angkor Wat
In Cambodia, Angkor Wat was constructed and oriented to interplay with astronomical events throughout the year. A 1976 article in Science detailed the discoveries of a group of University of Michigan researchers who numerically and astronomically analyzed the temple, constructed between 1113 and 1150 AD. On the spring equinox, the researchers wrote, “an observer standing at the southern edge of the first projection on the causeway (just in front of the western entrance gate) can see the sun rise directly over the top of the central tower of Angkor Wat.”www.atlasobscura.com/...
Roman Hilaria
The Hilaria (/hɪˈlɑːriə/; Latin "the cheerful ones", a term derived from the borrowed adjective Ancient Greek: ἱλαρός "cheerful, merry") were ancient Roman religious festivalscelebrated on the March equinox to honor Cybele.en.wikipedia.org/...
Stonehenge
These are just a few of the ancient observatories that still track astronomical events purely by their orientation and physical features. The world’s most famous prehistoric monument is still a destination for those looking to celebrate the equinox; according to the BBC, nearly 1000 people visited Stonehenge to welcome spring last year. English Heritage, which manages the site, opens access at dawn for each equinox and solstice event, so that druids, pagans, and other early-risers can watch the sun alight the ancient stones.www.atlasobscura.com/...
[Local Seneca Indians on the Genesee river and Lake Ontario]:
Local Seneca Indians
The local Seneca Indians in Western New York had traditional celebrations for each season. They lived in close harmony with nature and the flow of the seasons.The Senecas were part of the Iroquois Confederacy. The Iroquois divided the year into four seasons which coincide with ours. Their new year was probably originally in the Spring
Spring:
diyugwagaho' di, "it is time to plant or sow"
islandbreath
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Great Lakes spring tide:
Do the Great Lakes have tides? - NOAA's National Ocean Service
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True tides—changes in water level caused by the gravitational forces of the sun and moon—do occur in a semi-diurnal (twice daily) pattern on the GreatLakes.
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Studies indicate that the Great Lakes spring tide, the largest tides caused by the combined forces of the sun and moon, is less than five centimeters in height.oceanservice.noaa.gov/…
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NY Climate:
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In general, New York has a humid continental climate, though under the Köppen climate classification, New York City has a humid subtropical climate.[79] Weather in New York is heavily influenced by two continental air masses: a warm, humid one from the southwest and a cold, dry one from the northwest.
Sun's path at the Equinoxes:
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EQUINOX CRACKS IN EARTH'S MAGNETIC FIELD:
Cracks are opening in Earth's magnetic field. Researchers have long known that during weeks around equinoxes fissures form in Earth's magnetosphere. Solar wind can pour through the gaps to fuel bright displays of Arctic lights.
spaceweather.com
A great opportunity for stargazers to see the zodiacal light,
an eerie glow near the horizon which is only visible around the equinox.
The phenomenon, sometimes referred to as false dawn, appears in the western sky shortly after sunset around the vernal equinox, which occurs on March 20, 2018.
accuweather.com/…
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(Photos by Angmar)
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eranthis hyemalis - winter aconite [Very first spring flower]
A true harbinger of spring, these rugged plants often send their shoots up through snow.
missouribotanicalgarden.org/...
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