#sparkchamber 092319 — Autumnal Equinox

Get ready for astronomical amusement today as #sparkchamber happens to fall on an auspicious day! Planet Earth sits in the mostly dark, mostly empty void of space. Light from the nearest star illuminates half the Earth’s surface at any given moment, so as the Earth turns each day, every part of the planet spends roughly half the time in darkness and half the time in light. “Roughly” because the Earth spins on a tilted axis. That tilt — possibly the result of a massive impact to the planet billions of years ago — means that the North Pole is pointed toward the sun for half the year and pointed away from the sun the other half [the South Pole having the opposite positioning].

“Pointed toward” means more time in the light each 24-hour rotation of the Earth — longer day, shorter night [“pointed away” means the opposite proportion]. The celestial movement from “pointed toward” to “pointed away” is the reason for the seasons, for the annual ride from long hot summer days to long cold winter nights. Between summer and winter falls autumn. We are here.

In meteorology, fall is always September through November. But astronomically, fall begins when the Southern Hemisphere begins to receive more sunlight than the Northern Hemisphere. And that starts at the autumnal equinox. Which happens when the sun is directly in line with the equator. Which happened at 3:50 a.m. Eastern time this morning.

Equinox comes from the Latin aequus meaning equal and nox meaning night. At that very moment in time and space, both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres experienced equal day and equal night. The same as each other, day and night, north and south. What a moment! [Technically though, at any given point on the map, times may vary. To find the actual length of the day and night where you are, type your closest big city into the “sunrise and sunset times” box. ]

In the Northern Hemisphere, the days will now start to get shorter and the nights longer until the winter solstice in December [the Southern Hemisphere having the opposite experience]. This diminishing light triggers deciduous trees to stop producing chlorophyll, the pigment that gives leaves their green color. The result? The stunning fall foliage display. Planning a leaf-peeping trip? This map will give you a good sense of the whens and wheres.

While you’re out there, you might want to know that there are some superstitions around catching a falling leaf before it touches ground. Some say it’s automatic good luck; some suggest you should make a wish; still others believe that if you catch a leaf on the first day of autumn, you will not catch a cold all winter. Today is your day to immunize in that manner.

For sure, though, the days are getting ever shorter, and the nights longer and longer. And it’s going to start to get colder. Maybe a nice bowl of soup? [How to make a comforting fall soup without a recipe.] Maybe knit a scarf? [Step-by-step how-to-knit-a-scarf for beginners.] Maybe you just want to curl up with a good book [here’s a good fall reading list] or shut your eyes and zone out [here’s a nice fall playlist.]

Or, maybe the passage of time, the rhythm of nature, the cycles of life get you looking inward. Hibernation. Reflection. Maybe give meditation a try? [20 practical tips to start a meditation practice — and keep going.]

But however you may choose to spend the day, the night, and the rest of your life, be sure to sprinkle liberally with seasonal fairy dust. [How to make pumpkin spice.]

1.] Where do ideas come from?

Autumn carries more gold in its pocket than all the other seasons ― Jim Bishop, syndicated columnist and author

Autumn is a second spring where every leaf is a flower — Albert Camus, philosopher

2.] What is the itch you are scratching?

Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves. — John Muir, environmental philosopher

I prefer winter and fall, when you feel the bone structure of the landscape – the loneliness of it, the dead feeling of winter. Something waits beneath it, the whole story doesn't show. — Andrew Wyeth, realist painter

3.] Early bird or night owl? Tortoise or hare?

Everyone must take time to sit and watch the leaves turn — Elizabeth Lawrence, landscape architect and author

Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall — F. Scott Fitzgerald, fiction writer

4.] How do you know when you are done?

Then summer fades and passes and October comes. We’ll smell smoke then, and feel an unexpected sharpness, a thrill of nervousness, swift elation, a sense of sadness and departure. — Thomas Wolfe, novelist

Falling leaves hide the path so quietly — John Bailey, poet

For man, autumn is a time of harvest, of gathering together. For nature, it is a time of sowing, of scattering abroad. — Edwin Way Teale, naturalist and photographer and writer