The autumnal equinox is almost here. How quickly will Central Kentucky lose daylight?
However you personally mark the arrival of autumn, whether by cooler temperatures, falling leaves or the return of pumpkin spice lattes, in the Northern Hemisphere, the autumnal equinox signals the beginning of fall.
It’s the first measurable sign autumn has arrived in an astronomical sense. The sun shines directly over Earth’s equator, and the day and night are of nearly equal length. This occurs twice a year, once in the spring (the vernal equinox) and once in the fall.
After the autumnal equinox the days will continue to grow shorter with earlier sunsets and later sunrises. This continues until the winter solstice in December, marking the longest night of the year. After the winter solstice, the days begin to get longer.
Here’s a look at what to expect with the autumnal equinox, including how much daylight we’ll lose in Lexington in the coming weeks.
When is the autumnal equinox this year?
This year, the autumnal equinox will occur Saturday, Sept. 23, specifically at 2:50 a.m. Eastern Standard Time.
From that point forward, you’ll begin to notice earlier sunsets and later sunrises as the day continues to shorten and the night grows longer.
In Lexington, the sun will set Saturday at 7:33 p.m., according to Time and Date, an online world clock.
While National Weather Service forecasters can’t rule out more hot weather in September, the forecast for the coming days looks promising for those who enjoy autumn. The service’s extended forecast for the coming week shows highs in the 70s, beginning Saturday.
How much sunlight will Central Kentucky lose?
Between Saturday and the end of the month, Lexington will lose about two and a half minutes of daylight each day, according to projections from Time and Date.
By Sept. 30, the sun will set in Lexington at 7:22 p.m., 10 minutes earlier than the Sept. 23 sunset.
By Halloween, Lexington will have lost more than an hour of daylight, and by the winter solstice Dec. 21, the sun will set as early as 5:21 p.m., according to Time and Date.
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