Top 10 facts about autumn

September  23 is the first day of Autumn



September 23 is the day of the autumn equinox, when night and day are both 12 hours long and the season of autumn officially begins.

 

1. Actually both parts of that statement are arguable. Meteorologists tend to take the beginning of September as the start of autumn though astronomers insist it starts at the equinox. 

2. Also night and day are not equal today if you take the day as starting at the sight of the sun above the horizon. The day of 12 hours of sunlight is the equilux, which was about ten days ago. 

3. On the day of the equinox the axis of Earth’s rotation points directly at the sun. 

4. No film with autumn in its title has won an Oscar. Spring, summer and winter have one each. 

5. Human testosterone levels are highest in autumn, possibly from ancient mating instincts. 

6. Research shows that babies born in autumn are more likely to live to the age of 100. 

7. Research has also shown that women lose more hair in autumn. 

8. Until about 1500, autumn was called “harvest”. 

9. The full moon closest to the autumn equinox is known as a harvest moon. 

10. “No man can taste the fruits of autumn while he is delighting himself with the flowers of spring.” (Samuel Johnson).