Trees along Main Street in Center Moriches reminded us of the fall season by showing off their bright colors.
The first day of fall, the Autumnal Equinox, occurred on September 22, when there was an equal amount of daylight as night. The next celestial occurrence will be the Winter Solstice on December 21, the shortest day of the year. Days will become gradually longer until the Vernal Equinox on March 19. Tilting closer to the sun, the Northern Hemisphere will then start to experience longer daylight hours, leading to the warmer months of summer. The reverse will occur south of the equator as the days will begin to get shorter.
The rhythm of the sphere will continue into the Summer Solstice on June 20, the longest day of the year. The Northeast experiences its hotter months in July and August even though the days are getting shorter since it takes the sun time to heat up the Earth. The summer days give way to the Autumnal Equinox when the cycle begins anew.