Definition:Equinox/Vernal
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Definition
The vernal equinox is the equinox at which the sun crosses the celestial equator from south to north.
In the northern hemisphere this crossing occurs sometime around $21$ March.
Also known as
The vernal equinox is also known as the March equinox or the spring equinox.
The term northward equinox can also be seen in contexts requiring hemisphere neutrality.
Also see
- Results about equinoxes can be found here.
Linguistic Note
The term vernal equinox derives from the Latin vēr meaning (the season of) spring and aequinoctium, from aequus meaning equal and nox meaning night.
Sources
- 1998: David Nelson: The Penguin Dictionary of Mathematics (2nd ed.) ... (previous) ... (next): equinoxes (equinoctial points)
- 1998: David Nelson: The Penguin Dictionary of Mathematics (2nd ed.) ... (previous) ... (next): vernal equinox
- 2008: David Nelson: The Penguin Dictionary of Mathematics (4th ed.) ... (previous) ... (next): equinoxes (equinoctial points)
- 2008: David Nelson: The Penguin Dictionary of Mathematics (4th ed.) ... (previous) ... (next): vernal equinox