Fall will officially begin Thursday as the autumn equinox ushers in the new season for 2022.
While Mother Nature is certainly taking note of the seasonal shift in the Chicago area, sending temperature highs plummeting into the 60s – a sharp drop from the 90s many saw Tuesday this week- the official start time won’t begin until later Thursday evening.
The autumnal equinox, also referred to as the September or fall equinox, signals the shift between summer and fall. The season will precisely arrive at 8:04 p.m. Sept. 22 for the Northern Hemisphere, according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac.
The equinox marks the point when “daytime and nighttime are roughly equal in length,” Chicago’s Adler Planetarium states.
The planetarium also said that the sun will rise later and set earlier throughout the month following the equinox.
As the hours of sunlight lessen, signs of fall will begin to emerge. According to the almanac, leaves start to change colors and drop due to the amount of daylight and photosynthesis, rather than weather conditions, such as temperature.
Sept. 22 also will signify the appearance of the Chicagohenge, the city’s celestial event that happens only twice a year.
According to the planetarium, the Chicagohenge showcases the point when the sun directly lines up with Chicago’s east- and west-facing streets. Chicagoans will be able to see the phenomenon until Sept. 25, the planetarium said.
But as daylight begins to fade, don’t expect to change your clocks just yet. The end of Daylight Saving Time, also known as the time when clocks “fall back,” isn’t until early November.