The first day of spring is nearly here. What is the spring equinox?

April showers may bring May flowers, but the start of spring comes even earlier — in March.

The Earth will experience its vernal equinox on March 20. While it may not immediately transition into warm weather across the entire Northern Hemisphere, this is, at least meteorologically, the beginning of springtime in the U.S.

What exactly is an equinox?

The Latin phrase “Vernal equinox” translates to “new equal night” and describes how the daylight starts getting longer and evening out with nighttime, compared to days in the winter when there’s more darkness than light.

This happens because, due to the change in the Earth’s elliptical orbit, the Northern Hemisphere transitions from being pointed away from the sun to being pointed toward it.

It can be hard to visualize, but NASA has filmed footage of the equinoxes and solstices happening on Earth from space to show how the tilt works in relation to the sun. You can view that footage here:

When is the spring equinox expected to start?

This vernal equinox is expected to officially begin at 5:01 a.m. ET on March 20, according to the Farmers’ Almanac. (But no need to set an alarm or anything, you can enjoy it throughout the day.)

The difference between an equinox and a solstice

A solstice marks the time of year when the Earth is at its most extreme tilt toward or away from the sun, which impacts how much sunlight the hemispheres are experiencing.

There are two solstices in the Northern Hemisphere: The summer one falls between June 20-22 and is considered to be the longest day of the year. The winter one, which happens between Dec. 20-23, is the shortest day and longest night of the year.

Seasonal equinoxes aren’t as extreme and mark when day and night last almost the same time every day. There’s this vernal equinox, which is happening on March 20, and then the fall equinox, which happens sometime between Sept. 21-24.

Seasonal equinoxes usually indicate a shift in months-long seasons compared to solstices that are more extreme singular days.

Is springtime getting shorter?

The Farmers’ Almanac reported that the current seasonal lengths for the Northern Hemisphere are:

• Spring: 92.771 days

• Summer: 93.641 days

• Fall: 89.834 days

• Winter: 88.994 days

While the warmer seasons (spring and summer) have a combined 7 days longer than the colder seasons — due to the Earth’s orbit — the Farmers’ Almanac did note that springtime is specifically being reduced “one minute per year.”

Debunking 4 popular spring equinox myths

Is the spring equinox the only time of year you can balance a raw egg upright?

There’s a theory that the sun’s positioning on March 20 will be the only time you can balance a raw egg upright. However, this is a feat you can practice and pull off at any point in the year, not just during the spring equinox. The equinox itself has no impact on an egg’s ability to balance.

Is there something about the spring equinox that makes it very easy to balance any object?

The myths are not just about eggs but that the sun’s gravitational pull on the Earth during this time can help you balance any object upright. But again, this is possible any day of the year, there is no balance magic happening on March 20.

Will you not have a shadow at noon?

Shadows come from the sun shining down at an angle to you. On the spring equinox, the sun will be directly over the equator in the middle of the day, so if you happen to be standing at the equator at noon on the day of the equinox, it is possible you won’t see your own shadow. But it’s not something that could easily happen anywhere throughout the Northern Hemisphere.

Will the spring equinox affect my mood?

For those people who believe they experience seasonal affective disorder (SAD) during the darkness of winter, there’s a corresponding theory that springtime will lift their spirits. But the Farmers’ Almanac states that “the sun moving across the equator has no real effect on emotions.” It might all just be mental.