Pat Shingleton for Sept. 22, 2012

This morning at 9:49, the sun crosses the equator, initiating the autumnal equinox. As mentioned in previous columns, before the designation of seasons and based upon the sun’s track, some cultures recognized the seasons as either rainy or dry. Others identified three seasons: growing, harvesting and winter, with evidence by some noting 10 or more seasons. The designation of four seasons has a beginning and end point. They are defined when the Earth moves around the sun. The word equinox comes from the Latin for “equal night.” This representation isn’t exactly accurate in relationship to the exact moment of the autumnal equinox for two reasons: Sunrise and sunset occur when the sun’s top edge crosses the horizon. Earth’s atmosphere changes the sun’s apparent position when the sun is low. Fastcast: Nice

ADDITIONAL WEATHER INFORMATION:

TODAY: Warmer (Sunny Icon) 88/63

SUNDAY: Another Front (Sunny Icon) 85/58

MONDAY: Cooler (Sunny Icon) 84/59

TUESDAY: Comfortable (Sunny Icon) 85/62

WEDNESDAY: Still Dry (Sunny Icon) 86/65

THURSDAY: Clouding Up (Partly Cloudy Icon) 87/66