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SPRING BEGINS OFFICIALLY AT 5:48 UTC March 20, 2008


The Rover

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SPRING WILL OFFICIALLY BEGIN AT 5:48 UTC ON THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2008

That will be at 12:48 AM Thursday March 20, 2008 (or late Wed. night) for the Central Time Zone.

And so, because Spring does not officially begin until 48 minutes after 12 am on the 20th...The first "Full Day" of Spring, will be Friday, March 21st, for the Central Time Zone.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equinox

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I love Spring...my favourite season. Cannot wait for the clocks to go forward here in the UK (I think it's the 30th). Bring on the light nights!

"Dancing days are here again, as the Summer evenings grow..." :)

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This year..... for 2009, Spring begins on March 20th at 1144am UTC.

That would be 644am Central Daylight Time.

http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/converter.html

http://www.timeanddate.com/calendar/march-equinox.html

What does equinox mean?

The word “equinox” derives from the Latin words meaning “equal night” and refers to the time when the sun crosses the equator. At such times, day and night are everywhere of nearly equal length everywhere in the world.

It is important to note that while the March equinox marks the beginning of spring in the northern hemisphere, it is the start of autumn in many parts of the southern hemisphere.

March Equinox Explained

The March equinox is the movement when the sun crosses the true celestial equator – or the line in the sky above the earth’s equator – from south to north, around March 20 (or March 21) of each year. At that time, day and night are balanced to nearly 12 hours each all over the world and the earth’s axis of rotation is perpendicular to the line connecting the centers of the earth and the sun.

During the March equinox, the length of night and day across the world is nearly, but not entirely, equal. This is because the day is slightly longer in places that are further away from the equator, and because the sun takes longer to rise and set in these locations. Furthermore, the sun also does not set straight down, but it also moves in a horizontal direction.

During the March equinox, the length of daylight is about 12 hours and eight to nine minutes in areas that are about 30 degrees north or south of the equator, while areas that are 60 degrees north or south of the equator observe daylight for about 12 hours and 16 minutes. Many regions around the equator have a daylight length about 12 hours and six-and-a-half minutes during the March equinox.

Moreover, one day does not last for the exact same 24 hours across the world and due to time zone differences, there could be a small difference in the daylight length between a far-eastern and far-western location on the same latitude, as the sun moves further north during 24 hours.

A Greek astronomer and mathematician named Hipparchus (ca. 190-ca.120 BCE) was known for discovering the precession of the equinoxes, the slow movement among the stars of the two opposite places where the sun crosses the celestial equator. Hipparchus made observations of the equinox and solstice.

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Spring is here? You mean there was a winter already? Where? I didn't see a winter. I thought it was still autumn.

Hi 'Mangani'

Where have you been mate, did you miss the 5 1/2 meters of snow on Shooters Hill near where i live?

Regards, Danny

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