Those who observe the southern hemisphere sky<\/a> mark the advent of spring on this date, which is their vernal rather than autumnal equinox.<\/p>\n While it is widely held that night and day are the same length on the date of equinoxes, eager stargazers may be puzzled that daytime outlasts night-time on the 22nd and for several days to follow.<\/p>\n Read more:<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n The term equinox, derived from the Latin for \u2018equal night\u2019, reflects the fact that on these dates, outside of the polar regions, the Sun will be above the horizon for as long as it is below it.<\/p>\n So why the extra daylight, which ranges from a few minutes at the equator to over 20 minutes nearer the poles?<\/p>\n Part of the answer is that we see the Sun as a resolved disc measuring 0.5\u00ba<\/span> across rather than as a point source.<\/span><\/p>\n Astronomical<\/span> convention defines the sunrise and sunset times as the first and last moments that the solar disc can be seen, rather than when its centre crosses the horizon.<\/p>\n Sunrise and sunset are therefore earlier and later, respectively, than the times at which the Sun is aligned with the horizon.<\/p>\n This \u2018extra\u2019 daytime is gained twice per day as the 0.25\u00ba<\/span> between the limb and the centre of the Sun rotates through the horizon.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Daytime is extended even further by the refraction of sunlight in Earth\u2019s atmosphere.<\/p>\n Refraction<\/a> is the bending of waves as they travel through materials of different density, as sunlight does when entering our thick atmosphere from interplanetary space.<\/p>\n When we view the Sun near the horizon, we see it through a layer of atmosphere that bends its light toward us by a full 0.5\u00ba<\/span>, making it appear higher in the sky than it actually is.<\/p>\n This means that at dawn, we see the full disc of the Sun above the horizon when it is still entirely below it!<\/p>\n More \u2018extra\u2019 daytime is needed for Earth to rotate through this additional angle.<\/p>\n The magnitude of both these effects depends on latitude.<\/p>\n At the equator, where the path of the Sun is perpendicular to the horizon, the Sun\u2019s apparent motion of 1\u00ba<\/span> every four minutes yields a day that is roughly six minutes longer than the night.<\/p>\n Moving closer to the poles, the path of the Sun relative to the horizon is increasingly slanted, so the Sun\u2019s apparent motion in the vertical direction is slower and it takes longer to clear the horizon.<\/p>\n At 50\u00ba<\/span>N, stargazers face an extra 10 minutes of day before the first night of autumn begins.<\/p>\n Equinoxes aren\u2019t just for Earth \u2013 all planets with a significantly tilted axis of rotation move through two equinox points as they orbit the Sun. But these moments are particularly spectacular on Saturn<\/a>, as its brilliant rings seem to disappear!<\/p>\n Saturn\u2019s rings<\/a>, which are comprised of icy particles orbiting in a thin disc aligned with the planet\u2019s equatorial plane, are lit by the Sun throughout the Saturnian year.<\/p>\n When the planet reaches equinox, however, the rings are orientated edge-on to the Sun and cast themselves into shadow, vanishing from sight.<\/p>\n Saturn\u2019s equinoxes happen once every 14.7 Earth years. Galileo<\/a> witnessed this rare event in 1612, two years after discovering the rings, and asked, in shock, \u201cHas Saturn swallowed his children?\u201d<\/p>\n![\""Sunrise\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/25\/2020\/09\/GettyImages-136251263-61669a1-e1599722936126.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413"\" "\\"\"Sunrise\\"")
<\/div>![\""The\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/25\/2020\/09\/Sunset-a5fd6a3.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C466"\" "\\"\"The\\"")
<\/div>![\""Twilight\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/25\/2019\/04\/Astronomy-twilight-50ca0dd.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C349"\" "\\"\"Astronomy-twilight\"\\"")
<\/div>Equinoxes of Saturn<\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\""The\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/25\/2020\/09\/Saturn-equinox-4299f29-e1599661824611.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C330"\" "\\"\"The\\"")
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