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Science With Sabrina: Autumnal Equinox

We’ve been wishing for fall to finally arrive, and it has! Well, at least the actual season of fall. Meteorologist Sabrina Bates debunks an autumnal equin...
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We’ve been wishing for fall to finally arrive, and it has! Well, at least the actual season of fall. Meteorologist Sabrina Bates debunks an autumnal equinox myth in this week’s Science With Sabrina.

The autumnal equinox happened September 23rd at 2:50 in the morning. This marked the astronomical start of fall. 

The word equinox means "equal night". 

We learned back in elementary school that the seasons change as the earth moves around the sun. It all has to do with the earth tilted about 23.5 degrees. But, during the equinox in both spring and fall, the axis of the earth is pointed neither away or toward the sun. 

You may have heard of the old equinox folklore that you can balance an egg on its end or even make a broom stand up straight on an equinox. That's all false!

This myth originated from the fact that the sun reaches both the north and south pole equally. It's true that you can make these objects stand up. However, it has nothing to do with the equinox. If you do it right, you can actually balance it any day of the year.

Segment Sponsored By: Sylvan Learning

-Sabrina

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