March 19, 2024
Another birthday means another year in which the universe got to experience itself through your particular combination of wonder and will.
A Picturesque Equinox Sunset
Birthday · March 19, 2024
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APOD published March 19, 2024. Credit: Alan Dyer, Amazingsky.com, TWAN. A publication-date match, not a photo taken on your date. Independent of NASA.
What's that at the end of the road? The Sun. Many towns have roads that run east-west, and on two days each year, the Sun rises and sets right down the middle. Today, in some parts of the world (tomorrow in others), is one of those days: an equinox. Not only is this a day of equal night ("aequus"-"nox") and day time, but also a day when the sun rises precisely to the east and sets due west. Displayed here is a picturesque rural road in Alberta, Canada that runs approximately east-west. The featured image was taken during the September Equinox of 2021, but the geometry remains the same every year. In many cultures, this March equinox is taken to be the first day of a season, typically spring in Earth's northern hemisphere, and autumn in the south. Does your favorite street run east-west? Tonight, at sunset, you can find out with a quick glance.
Image credit: Alan Dyer, Amazingsky.com, TWAN