Spring Equinox 2024: What does it mean and why does it start on March 20?

this year, Spring equinox Start this Wednesday, March 20, 2024. An important date that many French people look forward to, and are delighted to find the trees budding and Brightness gain more important. And for good reason, as of March 20, 2024, we will officially enter the world spring It will get an average of 4 minutes of sunlight per day until June 20, the summer solstice.

but moderationWhat is it exactly? It is an astronomical moment, during which the length of the day equals the length of the night. every year, Two moderations It is happening ; The first is between March 19 and 21, when we emerge from winter to enter spring in the Northern Hemisphere, and the second is between September 21 and 24, when we emerge from summer and enter autumn, still in the Northern Hemisphere.

Concretely, Spring equinoxknown as Spring equinoxand coincides with The first day of spring According to the Gregorian calendar. Therefore, this stage represents the end of winter in the Northern Hemisphere. Conversely, in the Southern Hemisphere, it corresponds to the beginning of autumn.

Spring equinox 2024 So start this Wednesday 20 Marchexactly at 04:06 and 21 seconds (French time), according toInstitute of Celestial Mechanics and Ephemeris Calculation (IMEX). At this very precise moment, the Sun will be perpendicular to the Earth's equator. It will rise almost exactly in the east and set in the west.

last year, Spring equinox It took place on the same date, March 20, but a few hours later, at 10:24 pm (French time). In 2007, Spring equinox However, it fell on March 21, just as it did in 2003. But why did the date and time change? To understand this better, you have 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 make a full orbit around the Sun.

So, to make up for this gap, we add an extra day every four years, the famous leap years. The shift thus changes the dates and times of the equinox. In 2024, February will have 29 days, compared to 28 days normally.

Note that the following Spring equinox The one scheduled for March 21 is expected in the year 2102, while the one scheduled for March 19 is announced in the year 2044, according to Timetable set by IMCCE.

Note that this Spring equinox It follows a few days later Change the clockWith the transition to daylight saving time.

Time change in 2024: When should we switch to daylight saving time?
The days are getting longer and the nights are getting shorter: we'll soon be switching to daylight saving time! On the night of Saturday, March 30 to Sunday, March 31, 2024, we lose an hour of sleep and thus advance our clocks by one hour. But in reality, didn't the French and European authorities decide to put an end to this time change? We do inventory. [Lire la suite]