Read more: March equinox 2024, aka the vernal equinox. It arrives at 3:06 UTC on March 20.
Equinox enjoyable: Monitor the sundown level
The sun’s motion from day to day alongside your horizon – on the dawn or sundown level – is most noticeable across the equinoxes. And plenty of streets within the U.S. and in different elements of the world are oriented both north-south or east-west. So, simply by searching the doorway of your own home, you would possibly be capable of watch the progress of the sun because it slides from south to north within the weeks and months following the March equinox.
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On the equinox, the sun rises straight within the east and units straight within the west. You’ll be able to see it transfer shortly additional north every day afterward. No grid of streets that can assist you? Strive monitoring the sun’s progress alongside the horizon by inserting bits of tape on an east- or west-facing window of your own home. Or simply discover a clear spot – a spot the place you’ll be able to see the horizon – and stand in the identical spot everytime you watch the dawn or sundown. You’ll discover the sun’s motion with respect to bushes and different objects within the foreground.
Simply you should definitely observe from the very same location each day. It’s sufficient to notice the dawn or sundown level each week or 10 days. You’ll simply see the sun’s northward shift between now and the June solstice.
Then monitor between the solstices
What occurs on the solstice? At mid-northern latitudes, there’s a two- to three-week time interval the place you in all probability received’t discern any motion of the sun alongside the horizon. That’s the place the phrase solstice comes from. Solstice = sun nonetheless.
How a lot does it transfer?
We acquired a query from a reader in regards to the motion of the sundown or dawn alongside the horizon as Earth strikes between seasons. They wrote:
Hiya, I’m curious to know the way far the sun strikes north or south alongside the horizon every day? Like half its width? 1 / 4 of its width?
The reply is that the degrees of the sun’s motion alongside the horizon is determined by two issues:
1) The time of yr.
2) Your latitude.
As talked about above, the sun’s motion alongside your horizon – at dawn or sundown – is most perceptible across the equinoxes and least perceptible across the solstices. Additionally, the sun’s day by day change of place alongside the horizon is bigger the farther north or south you’re from Earth’s equator.
It’s all about your latitude
For instance, at round 40 degrees north latitude (Denver, Colorado; island of Sardinia, Italy; Beijing, China), the sun just about rises due east and sets due west on the day of the March 19-20 equinox. Two weeks later, on April 4, the sun rises about 7 degrees north of due east and and units about 7 levels north of due west. As a result of the sun’s diameter equals 1/2 diploma, which means the sun has been touring its personal diameter (14 days x 1/2 diploma = 7 levels) northward day by day.
At 65 degrees north latitude (Fairbanks, Alaska; Siberia; Iceland), the sun additionally rises and units near due east and due west on the day of the equinox. However two weeks later, on April 4, the sun rises and units about 14 levels north of due east and west. So, at this far-northern latitude, the sun strikes about one diploma (two sun-diameters) alongside the horizon day by day throughout this two-week interval from the spring equinox to April 4.

Backside line: The quantity of the sun’s motion alongside your horizon – at dawn or sundown – varies with the time of yr and together with your latitude. It’s most perceptible across the equinoxes and least across the solstices.