This year's fall equinox will occur at about 7:20 a.m. on September 22 for San Diego. The day of equal amounts of day and night sees the sun rise due east and set due west. Shadows just after sunrise or just before sunset allow you to use landmarks to determine the cardinal directions. Also, because the sun is directly above the earth's equator on the equinoxes, sunsets and sunrises are the shortest during these times of year.
September 22 also marks the third quarter moon. The moon will rise in the northeast around midnight just above the constellation of Orion. Betelgeuse, the bright red star marking the trailing shoulder of the rising Orion, has been getting brighter of late. Astronomers think that this red supergiant will someday explode in a supernova, making it even more noticeable than it already is in the sky.
This year's fall equinox will occur at about 7:20 a.m. on September 22 for San Diego. The day of equal amounts of day and night sees the sun rise due east and set due west. Shadows just after sunrise or just before sunset allow you to use landmarks to determine the cardinal directions. Also, because the sun is directly above the earth's equator on the equinoxes, sunsets and sunrises are the shortest during these times of year.
September 22 also marks the third quarter moon. The moon will rise in the northeast around midnight just above the constellation of Orion. Betelgeuse, the bright red star marking the trailing shoulder of the rising Orion, has been getting brighter of late. Astronomers think that this red supergiant will someday explode in a supernova, making it even more noticeable than it already is in the sky.
Comments