Goodbye summer. Today the fall equinox begins

Autumn lovers rejoice. Summer is winding down as the fall equinox is finally here.

While fall and Halloween decor have already hit many store shelves and pumpkin spice lattes are being served in coffee shops across the nation, the equinox marks the first official day of the fall season.

The equinox occurs twice a year, once in spring and again in fall. Unlike the summer and winter solstices, the equinoxes do not mark longer nights or days, but instead give us days that are equal daytime and nighttime.

So grab a warm bowl of soup, a cup tea or a hot latte, and get comfy. Here's what you need to know about the fall equinox.

In 2026, the fall equinox will fall on Tuesday, Sept. 22 at 8:05 p.m. ET, according to NASA.

The fall equinox is known by several names, per NASA and other sources, including the following:

The U.S. will begin to see leaves change colors from late September to mid-October, USA TODAY previously reported.

Some parts of southern California and most of the South can expect leaves to change in November, according to ExploreFall.com. But other parts of southern California, southern Texas and most of Florida won't…

Original source: https://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/