The autumn equinox occurs around which date range?

The autumn equinox occurs around which date range?

• A. December 21 or 22
• B. June 20 or 21
• C. September 22 or 23
• D. March 20 or 21

Answer: (C)

Equinoxes happen when the Sun crosses the celestial equator, so daylight and darkness are about equal. The autumn (fall) equinox occurs as the Sun moves south across the equator, placing it in late September. Because Earth's orbit and time zones shift the exact moment, it typically falls on September 22 or 23 in most years, with occasional variation. For context, the winter solstice is around December 21–22, the spring equinox around March 20–21, and the summer solstice around June 20–21.

Equinoxes happen when the Sun crosses the celestial equator, so daylight and darkness are about equal. The autumn (fall) equinox occurs as the Sun moves south across the equator, placing it in late September. Because Earth's orbit and time zones shift the exact moment, it typically falls on September 22 or 23 in most years, with occasional variation. For context, the winter solstice is around December 21–22, the spring equinox around March 20–21, and the summer solstice around June 20–21.