The seasons are reversed in the southern hemisphere from the northern - most of the world's population live in the north, so it's easier to quote that henisphere and simply reverse it if you live in the south.
I've seen this question answered wrongly twice on Yahoo!
Everyone, and I mean everyone, wrongly thinks that the 'Equinox' points of the solar year are the start of either Autumn or Spring when in fact they are the MID points of those seasons!
Shakespeare's 'A midsummer night's dream' is performed on the 21st June i.e. the summer solstice. Shakey has correctly noted it as a MIDsummer night's dream - the start of summer is easily calculated: 52 weeks in the year, four seasons means that's 13 weeks per season, start of all seasons is therefore six and a half weeks BEFORE the Equinox or Solstice. So the correct answer is the 6th of August (give or take a day or two).
I find it astounding how many people swallow what they hear and parrot it as 'known' gospel. Get it right!
2006-10-06 03:14:05 · 11 answers · asked by Rangumai 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
It matters not whether one feels hot ot cold.... ASTROLOGICALLY the first days of spring or autumn are exactly where you say - at the mid points between the solstices and exquinoxes!
2006-10-07 06:37:22 · answer #1 · answered by lexierayner 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
As you've noted, Equinoxes and Solstice days mark the middle of the weather seasons. Equinoxes and Solstices have the advantage of being easily observed by just about anyone. The day's you are looking for are called "cross-quarter days" and are the old days which used to mark the beginning and end of the seasons. The old cross-quarter day that marks the beginning of winter is of course "Samhain" or "All Hallows Day". We still celebrate the ancient last day of fall here in the USA as "Halloween". All cross-quarter days originally fell on the first of their associated month, and the equinox and solstice days originally fell on the 15th of their associated month (at least in the Roman Calendar). The "Ides of March" in Shakespears' Julius Caesar was the Vernal Equinox on the old Roman Calendar.
In any case, do a web search on "cross-quarter days", or simply look it up in Wikipedia.
2006-10-06 04:59:24 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Back in Shakespeare's day, you would have been completely correct. Today, you are wrong. It is all just sementics, anyway. Relax. But officially, the first day of autumn is on the autumnal equinox.
You may be interested to read what Phil Plait, the Bad Astronomer has to say about this. He actually agrees with you, that the equinoxes and solstices *should* (but don't) mark the mid-season points. I respectfully disagree with him (and with you), and I think a big reason for our differences is that we live in very different parts of the country, weather-wise.
2006-10-06 03:21:02 · answer #3 · answered by kris 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
When seasons start and change is dependant on where you live; and I'm not talking about which hemisphere.
The UK and the USA base their calendar on Astronmical seasons - see the link attached - so it is generally accepted that the 1st Day of Spring is the 21st March for example. That is the convention in these two countries. In other countries it's different.
So while there are other ways of defining seasons; that's just the way it is over here - deal with it and take a valium.
There are also the metrological seasons:
http://www.met-office.gov.uk/education/primary/students/seasons.html
But these are not used on the UK Calendar per se
2006-10-06 03:18:31 · answer #4 · answered by Felidae 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It depends on how you define the seasons. It is perfectly acceptable to say that summer starts on the day of the summer solstice, even though that is geometrically the middle of the season, because seasonal lag causes the hottest weather to be many weeks later than the date of maximum solar heating.
2006-10-06 03:22:57 · answer #5 · answered by campbelp2002 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'd rather believe Phillip Eden of the Met Office. Autumn in UK is September, October, November.
2006-10-06 03:22:16 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
I am not sure BUT I know today is Mid -Autumn Day in China by Chinese Calendar
and Chinese eat mooncake today - the moon is very round and beautiful tonight.
2006-10-06 03:23:25 · answer #7 · answered by chloe 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The first real day of Autumn is on September 21st.
2006-10-06 03:17:36 · answer #8 · answered by Julianne M 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
i guess the reason so many people get it wrong according to you maybe because YOU are wrong....... gasp for air.
September October and November is the autumn
tell us more about YOUR universe .....
2006-10-06 03:24:51 · answer #9 · answered by q6656303 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
You have not read Uriel's Machine, have you?
2006-10-06 03:22:05 · answer #10 · answered by moonsister_98 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋