Spring Equinox 2019: Celebrate Spring’s first day, India welcomes season-change with Holi

Equinox is considered a mark to indicate the change of seasons and India welcomes the equinox during Holi, the festival of colours. The official start of spring equinox or vernal equinox is on March 20, Wednesday, whereas in India and South Asian region, the stipulated period is March 21, 3:28 am.

Google has released an animated doodle named Spring Equinox to celebrate March 20 as the first day of the spring. The new doodle features a pink animated flower on the top of green planet Earth. The doodle of spring equinox reaches all of North America, Asia and Europe where it is the first day of the season.

An equinox is generally regarded as the instant of time when the plane (extended indefinitely in all directions) of Earth’s equator passes through the centre of the Sun. This occurs twice each year: around March 20 and September 23. In other words, it is the moment at which the centre of the visible Sun is directly above the Equator.

The day time and night time are of almost equal all over the planet on the day of an equinox. Researchers say that they can’t be called 100 per cent equal, but due to the angular size of the Sun, atmospheric refraction, and the rapidly changing duration of the length of day, that occurs at most latitudes around the equinoxes.

The commencement of spring signals while the northern hemisphere begins to tilt toward the Sun after March 20 and as a result the southern hemisphere begins to tilt away from the Sun, marking the beginning of fall there.

Researchers say that the moon is likely to reach peak fullness at 9:42 pm EST on March 20, around four hours after the vernal equinox at 5:42 pm EST. However, it will vary depending on your location.