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Event Information:
An
equinox occurs twice a year, when
the tilt of the Earth's axis is
inclined neither away from nor
towards the Sun, the center of the
Sun being in the same plane as the
Earth's equator. The term equinox
can also be used in a broader sense,
meaning the date when such a passage
happens. The name "equinox" is
derived from the Latin aequus
(equal) and nox (night), because
around the equinox, the night and
day have approximately equal length.
At an
equinox, the Sun is at one of two
opposite points on the celestial
sphere where the celestial equator
and ecliptic intersect. These points
of intersection are called
equinoctial points: classically, the
vernal point and the autumnal point.
By extension, the term equinox may
denote an equinoctial point. An
equinox happens each year at two
specific moments in time (rather
than two whole days), when there is
a location (the subsolar point) on
the Earth's equator, where the
center of the Sun can be observed to
be vertically overhead, occurring
around March 20 and September 22
each year.
Although the word equinox is often
understood to mean "equal day and
night", this is not strictly true.
For most locations on earth, there
are two distinct identifiable days
per year when the length of day and
night are closest to being equal;
those days are referred to as the "equiluxes"
to distinguish them from the
equinoxes. Equinoxes are points in
time, but equiluxes are days. By
convention, equiluxes are the days
where sunrise and sunset are closest
to being exactly 12 hours apart.
The
March equinox marks the first day of
various calendars including the
Iranian calendar. The ancient
Iranian new year's festival of
Nowruz can be celebrated March 20 or
March 21. According to the ancient
Persian mythology Jamshid, the
mythological king of Persia,
ascended to the throne on this day
and each year this is commemorated
with festivities for two weeks.
These festivities recall the story
of creation and the ancient
cosmology of Iranian and Persian
people. It is also a holiday
celebrated in Azerbaijan,
Afghanistan, Pakistan, Turkey,
Zanzibar, Albania, and various
countries of Central Asia, as well
as among the Kurds. As well as being
a Zoroastrian holiday, it is also a
holy day for adherents of the Bahá'í
Faith and the Nizari Ismaili
Muslims. The Bahá'í Naw-rúz is
stationary; the new year always
starts at sunset March 20.
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