Fall 2024. When is the first day of calendar and astronomical fall? The end of summer is inevitable. Tomorrow we will welcome the first of fall

This year, astronomical autumn will begin on Sunday, September 22. This date is marked by the moment of the autumn equinox, which will occur at 2:43 p.m. A day later, on September 23, we will welcome the calendar equinox.

Astronomical autumn lasts from the moment of the autumn equinox. This phenomenon occurs when the Sun passes through the point of Libra. The Earth passes the point in its orbit where the sun's rays fall perpendicularly on the equator and are simultaneously tangent to its surface at the poles. From this moment on, the northern hemisphere is less illuminated than the southern one, until the spring equinox. Astronomical autumn will last until the winter solstice, i.e. until December 21 or 22.

Calendar seasons always start on the same day every year. The first day of calendar autumn in our latitudes falls on September 23. Calendar autumn will last until December 21, when calendar winter begins.

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In addition to the astronomical and calendar autumn, there is also the meteorological, phenological and thermal autumn. The first of these, the meteorological autumn, will begin on Sunday, September 1 and will last until November 30. Meteorological autumn is a concept introduced for the needs of meteorologists and climatologists. It is used to always refer to the same period when comparing statistical or climate data, because the astronomical and thermal seasons have “movable” dates.

Thermal autumn is a period, similarly to thermal spring, characterized by an average daily air temperature ranging from 5 to 15 degrees Celsius.

In addition, there are also phenological seasons. They are related to the development cycle of nature. These include the flowering and maturation of plants, the changing of leaf colors or the behavior of animals. The period called early autumn is characterized primarily by flowering heather and the ripening of the horse chestnut or lingonberry. During autumn, the leaves change colour and fall off. At the turn of summer and autumn, some animals, such as storks, begin their journey from Poland to warm countries.

For farmers, autumn signals the end of the growing season for cereal and root crops. The last grain harvests are underway in the fields and meadows, and root crops are ripening. The growing season ends when the average daily air temperature drops below 5 degrees Celsius.