equinox
Twice-yearly solar crossing
An equinox is either of two moments each year when the sun crosses the celestial equator, making day and night approximately equal in length worldwide.
The vernal equinox occurs around March 20, marking spring in the Northern Hemisphere; the autumnal equinox falls around September 22, marking fall.
The equinox signals the changing of seasons.
Light after sunset
- dawnDay's first glow
- duskDimming after sundown
- sunsetDay yielding to darkness
- sunriseMorning light's arrival
daybreak · sunlight · daytime · nighttime · gloaming · crepuscule · noon · midnight
Prehistoric megalithic circle
- ritualCeremonial set of actions
- festivalOrganized public celebration
- paganNon-mainstream religion follower
- druidAncient Celtic priest-scholar
observance · alignment · sunrise · standing stones · Chichen Itza · Angkor Wat · megalith · ceremony
Gathering mature crops
- deciduousSheds foliage seasonally
- migrationMovement to new territory
- pumpkinsLarge orange autumn gourds
- squashFlatten by pressure
gourds · cider · amber · russet · frost · thanksgiving · cornucopia · hibernation
Day of maximum tilt
- eclipticSun's apparent annual path
- celestialOf the sky above
- declinationAngular distance from equator
- precessionRotating axis gradually reorients
orbit · zodiac · constellation · ephemeris · perihelion · aphelion · sidereal · ascension
Making current again
- rebirthSpiritual or physical regeneration
- blossomingBeginning to flower
- plantingPlacing seeds in earth
- seedlingsNewly germinated plants
thaw · budding · Nowruz · Holi · Passover · Easter · cherry blossoms · birdsong
State of balance
- symmetryInvariance under transformation
- equipoiseEqual distribution of weight
- evennessUniform, balanced quality
- parityState of being equal
proportion · counterbalance · yin · yang · homeostasis · stability · alignment · equal
twilight
Light after sunset
sunrise · daybreak · sunlight · daytime · nighttime · gloaming · crepuscule · noon · midnight · twelve hours
Stonehenge
Prehistoric megalithic circle
- ritualCeremonial set of actions
- festivalOrganized public celebration
- paganNon-mainstream religion follower
druid · observance · alignment · sunrise · standing stones · Chichen Itza · Angkor Wat · megalith · ceremony · gathering
harvest
Gathering mature crops
- deciduousSheds foliage seasonally
- migrationMovement to new territory
- pumpkinsLarge orange autumn gourds
squash · gourds · cider · amber · russet · frost · thanksgiving · cornucopia · hibernation · acorns
solstice
Day of maximum tilt
- eclipticSun's apparent annual path
- celestialOf the sky above
- declinationAngular distance from equator
precession · orbit · zodiac · constellation · ephemeris · perihelion · aphelion · sidereal · ascension · latitude
renewal
Making current again
- rebirthSpiritual or physical regeneration
- blossomingBeginning to flower
- plantingPlacing seeds in earth
seedlings · thaw · budding · Nowruz · Holi · Passover · Easter · cherry blossoms · birdsong · lambing
equilibrium
State of balance
- symmetryInvariance under transformation
- equipoiseEqual distribution of weight
- evennessUniform, balanced quality
parity · proportion · counterbalance · yin · yang · homeostasis · stability · alignment · equal · duality
- astronomy termseclipse, solar eclipse, lunar eclipse, star, meteor shower
- archaeoastronomyStonehenge, stone circles, medicine wheels, ancient observatories, standing stones
- Egyptian astronomySirius, star maps, Nut, Orion, lunar calendar
- Islamic Astronomyastrolabe, star catalog, observatory, House of Wisdom, celestial globe
- NowruzNowruz, sib, sir, seer, wheatgrass
- eventsevent, events, party, parties, wedding
equinoxsolstice
Day of maximum tilt
summer solstice · winter solstice · June solstice · December solstice · longest day
- spring equinoxDay and night match
- fall equinoxSeptember equal day-night event
- autumn equinoxEqual day and night
- autumnal equinoxEqual day and night
- vernal equinoxSpring's astronomical beginning
- September equinoxFall's equal day-night moment