Equinox marks longer nights in PHL

A YEAR ago yesterday. Moon on Leo on the rise, February 2018. Composite image by John Henry Dodson

State weather bureau Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) on Wednesday announced that the country can expect “longer” nights usual when the autumnal equinox comes on 23 September.

In a statement, PAGASA said that longer nights will come as the sun moves below the celestial equator towards the southern hemisphere starting at 3:50 p.m.

The state weather bureau explained that on an equinox, day and night have the same length of approximately 12 hours all over the world and equinoxes are the only times when the solar terminator, or the “edge” between night and day, is perpendicular to the equator.

Equinox happens twice yearly, about 22 September and 20 March.