vernal equinox

American  

[vur-nl ee-kwuh-noks, ek-wuh-noks] / ˈvɜr nl ˈi kwəˌnɒks, ˈɛk wəˌnɒks /

noun

1. equinox1

2. Also called vernal point.  the position of the sun at the time of the vernal equinox.

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vernal equinox British  

noun

1. the time at which the sun crosses the plane of the equator towards the relevant hemisphere, making day and night of equal length. It occurs about March 21 in the N hemisphere (Sept 23 in the S hemisphere)

2. 1. astronomy the point, lying in the constellation Pisces, at which the sun's ecliptic intersects the celestial equator

   2. the time at which this occurs as the sun travels south to north (March 21)

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vernal equinox Scientific  

/ vûr′nəl /

1. See under equinox

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Etymology

Origin of vernal equinox

First recorded in 1525–35

Example Sentences

The odds also tend to increase around equinoxes — the vernal equinox occurred last week — due to a more favorable tilt in the Earth’s axis, Murtagh said.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 24, 2024

Pretty much aligned with the vernal equinox, give or take a few days, St. Patrick’s Day lands just right on the calendar for a celebration.

From Salon • Mar. 12, 2024

Then, in March, nature will once again bring us the vernal equinox, the time of year that ushers in spring in the North.

From National Geographic • Sep. 21, 2023

For some, spring cleaning takes place around the time of the vernal equinox, which this year fell on March 20.

From New York Times • Apr. 11, 2023

In the first place we may notice that in the time of Hipparchus the vernal equinox was in the first degree of the Ram, from which our own arrangement has originated.

From Astronomical Myths Based on Flammarions's History of the Heavens by Blake, John F.