Facts about spring and its start today!

Today is the official start of spring! In the Central Time Zone, the vernal equinox takes place at 11:15 am. This means the sun is directly overhead at the equator giving almost equal sunlight.

Here are some basic facts about spring:

*Spring is one of four seasons: spring, summer, fall, and winter

*Spring is a symbol of “rebirth”

*Equinox is Latin for Equal Birth

*The vernal equinox occurs when the tilt of the Earth’s axis is not facing towards or away from the sun

*The days will only get longer and longer from here

*The spring and fall equinox are the ONLY two days during the year when the sun rises due east and sets due west

*On the first day of spring, a person at the North Pole would see the sun skimming across the horizon, beginning six months of uninterrupted daylight. A person at the South Pole would see the sun skimming across the horizon, signaling the start of six months of darkness

*The first day of spring in the Southern Hemisphere is the first day of fall in the Northern Hemisphere

*Easter always falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the spring equinox

*While the spring equinox typically occurs on March 20 or 21, meteorological spring begins on March 1, a month when average temperatures increase by 10 degrees over the month

*The myth that it is possible to balance an egg on its end on the spring equinox is just that: a myth. Trying to balance an oval-shaped object on its end is no easier on the spring equinox than on any other day

*Children actually grow faster in the spring than during other times of the year