During an equinox, places around the globe experience nearly equal amounts of daytime and nighttime. The second occurrence this year happens on Sunday.

On Sept. 22, the fall equinox formally heralds in autumn and marks the end of summer in the Northern Hemisphere.

The autumnal equinox brings fall to the Northern Hemisphere today as the sun passes directly over the equator at noon. But are day and night actually equal length today?

Even though pumpkin spice-flavored everything made a premature return to menus and store shelves everywhere, the first day of fall is actually this Sunday. Sept. 22, marks the first day of the autumnal equinox in the Northern Hemisphere,

The official first day of fall, otherwise known as the autumnal equinox, is this weekend in the Northern Hemisphere. According to Encyclopedia Britannica, it is one of only two days, the other being the vernal equinox, when the sun is directly above the Equator, essentially dividing night and day into equal portions.