Day equals night in length on Monday

MANILA, Philippines—Day and night will be approximately equal in length on Monday with the occurrence of the autumn equinox. It marks the end of the summer solstice, when days are longer than nights.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said the equinox ushers in the winter solstice when nights will be longer.

Ed Lagoc, of Pagasa’s Space Sciences and Astronomy Section (SSAS), said sunrise will come later in the morning and it will get dark as early as 5 p.m. This will last until December.

The summer solstice was ushered in by the vernal equinox, which occurred on March 21.

In the northern hemisphere, Monday marks the first day of Fall. South of the equator it is the beginning of Spring.

In many countries it also signals the harvest season.

Late August and September is also about the time indigenous tribes like the Ifugao in the northern Philippines and the Tiboli in the southern part of the country hold their harvest festivals.

According to the EarthSky.org website, the autumn equinox is an astronomical event caused when the sun crosses the celestial equator, enabling the northern and southern hemispheres to equally receive the sun’s rays, consequently making night and day equal in length.—Jeannette I. Andrade