As the temperature drops and leaves change color, it is evident that summer is coming to an end. This transition also marks the upcoming autumn equinox, scheduled for next Monday, September 22.
The autumn equinox officially signals the start of autumn in the Northern Hemisphere when day and night are nearly equal in length. This event signifies the shift towards longer nights in the Northern Hemisphere and longer days in the Southern Hemisphere.
Dr. Shyam Balaji, an astrophysics expert at King’s College London, explained that the September equinox, occurring at 18:19 UTC on September 22, marks the onset of Autumn in the Northern Hemisphere and Spring in the Southern Hemisphere.
The Earth’s tilt of about 23.5 degrees results in both hemispheres receiving almost equal hours of daylight and darkness during the equinox. Following this event, the Northern Hemisphere experiences longer nights than days, while the Southern Hemisphere transitions to longer days than nights.
The changing seasons are a result of Earth’s orbit around the Sun. Equinoxes, which occur when the Sun illuminates both hemispheres equally, signal the beginning of spring and autumn, while solstices mark the start of summer and winter.
The Met Office forecasts that this year’s autumn will span approximately three months, concluding on December 21. The autumn equinox marks the point when the Northern Hemisphere starts tilting away from the Sun, leading to shorter days and cooler temperatures.
Despite the longer nights, clocks in the UK will go back one hour on October 26, putting the country back on Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). This adjustment will make days feel shorter and nights longer, providing an extra hour of sleep.
Daylight saving time is a method to maximize summer daylight hours in the Northern Hemisphere. It aims to reduce energy consumption, promote outdoor activities, and decrease road accidents, although debates continue about its impact on safety and convenience.
The UK will remain on GMT until March 29, 2026, when the clocks will shift to British Summer Time (BST). Devices connected to the internet will automatically update to reflect this change. The government provides a list of future clock changes on its website for reference.