This year, the spring equinox begins on Wednesday March 20, 2024. It's an important date that many French people are eagerly awaiting, as they look forward to the budding trees and increased sunlight. And with good reason: from March 20, 2024, we officially enter spring, gaining an average of 4 minutes of sunshine a day until June 20, the summer solstice.
But what exactly is the equinox? It's an astronomical moment when the length of daylight equals that of night. Every year, there are two equinoxes: one between March 19 and 21, when we leave winter behind and re-enter spring in the northern hemisphere, and the second between September 21 and 24, when we leave summer behind and re-enter autumn, again in the northern hemisphere.
In concrete terms, the vernal equinox, better known as the spring equinox, coincides with the first day of spring according to the Gregorian calendar. This marks the end of winter in the northern hemisphere. Conversely, in the southern hemisphere, it corresponds to the start of autumn.
The spring equinox of 2024 therefore begins this Wednesday, March 20, at exactly 04:06 and 21 seconds (French time), according to theInstitut de Mécanique Céleste et de Calcul des Éphémérides (IMCCE). At this precise moment, the sun will be vertical at the Earth's equator. It will rise almost exactly in the east and set due west.
Last year, the spring equinox took place on the same date, March 20, but a few hours later, at 10:24 p.m. (French time). In 2007, on the other hand, the vernal equinox fell on March 21, as it did in 2003. So why do the date and time change? To better understand this, we need to look at our Gregorian calendar. For us, a year lasts 365 days. But in reality, it takes the Earth exactly 365 days, 5 hours and 48 minutes to complete one revolution around the sun.
So, to make up for this time lag, we add an extra day every four years - the famous leap years. This changes the dates and times of the equinoxes. In 2024, February will have 29 days, compared with the usual 28.
Note that the next spring equinox, scheduled for March 21, is expected in 2102, while the one on March 19 is scheduled for 2044, according to the IMCCE calendar.
Note that this spring equinox is followed a few days later by a time change, with the switch to daylight saving time.
Time change in 2024: switch to winter time this weekend
The days are getting shorter and the nights are getting longer: there's no doubt about it, we'll be switching to winter time very soon! On the night of Saturday, October 26 to Sunday, October 27, 2024, we'll gain an hour's sleep and set our clocks back an hour. But hadn't the French and European authorities decided to put an end to this time change? We take a look. [Read more]
Time change in 2024: switch to winter time this weekend
