September 22 marks the beginning of the Autumn Equinox which signals the start of Autumn for people in Ireland and around the world.
The word equinox comes from the Latin word "aequus" which means equal, and nox which means night.
After tonight, the days will grow shorter and nights colder.
The previous equinox in 2021 occurred in April. But when is the Autumn equinox and what is it?
What is the Autumn Equinox?
This occurs when the earths axis tilts so that the sun shines for the same amount of time on both hemispheres for two days only.
Both day and night and roughly the same length in both hemispheres.
The Autumn Equinox also marks the point both hemispheres swap over with one hemisphere getting warmer spring/summer weather and the other moving into autumn and winter.
It was celebrated by the pagans and druids in the past and is still celebrated every year at Stonehenge in the UK. A similar event is held in Newgrange in celebration of the Winter solstice.
When is the Autumn Equinox?
The Autumn equinox takes place tonight, Wednesday, September 22 at approximately 8.21 pm GMT.
How long will the Autumn Equinox last?
It's set to last until the Winter Solstice which takes place on Tuesday, December 21.
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