One of the many gifts of photography is that it has taught me how to become an observer of the light. And by extension, that means that I am also an observer of the source of the light, the sun.
Today marks the autumnal equinox which means that the day and night are nearly equal in length for just about everyone on the planet. (The word “equinox” comes from the Latin word meaning “equal night”). It is a temporary state of equilibrium between the Winter and Summer Solstices.
The autumnal equinox also marks the change in the direction of the suns rays and during this transition, the sun is positioned directly over the Earth’s equator. We can tell this by the fact that the sun rises in due east and sets due west.
Sidenote 1: Does anyone else feel like their dad when they say “due west”?
Sidenote 2: Several years ago I shared some super nerdy diagrams that illustrate how the position of sun changes with the seasons. Click on this link to geek out with me.
Anyway, the whole point of this science lesson is just to say that even if I didn’t have any understanding of the solar system and how it relates to the the Earth’s seasons, I would know it’s Autumn because the evening sun is currently setting directly behind my neighbor’s dogwood tree. Something I look forward to every year.
With actual fall-like weather still a few weeks away in my neck of the woods, I am thankful for this visual reminder of all of the goodness yet to come.
Love, Kelly
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