Autumnal Equinox vs Vernal Equinox Explained

On September 23rd, 2019, Stonehenge drew crowds before sunrise for one exact reason-twelve hours of daylight and twelve hours of night, balanced for just one day. That perfect balance is called the autumnal equinox. It happens in September in the northern hemisphere and marks the official start of autumn. From that moment, the days keep getting shorter, leaves start falling, and temperatures drop. But six months earlier, on March 20th, crowds gather again, hoping for the first sunrise of spring. That’s the vernal equinox. It’s also twelve hours of daylight and darkness, but now it’s the beginning of spring. Flowers pop up, animals wake, and days grow longer after this date. Here’s the trick: both equinoxes mean equal night, but autumnal signals shorter days, while vernal means they’re getting longer. If you can remember that 'autumn falls,' you’ll know exactly when the daylight starts to slip away at Stonehenge.