Spring Equinox means longer days ahead | iNFOnews | Thompson-Okanagan's News Source
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Spring Equinox means longer days ahead

Bright blue irises add a splash of colour to street front of Bernard Avenue.

By Julie Whittet

No matter how much it rains or snows, today is still officially the first day of Spring, 2013.

Also known as the Vernal Equinox, today marks the moment when the Earth's axis is in just the right position to give us near equal hours of daylight and darkness.

It also means we can look forward to longer hours of daylight, a comforting sign for those weary of winter-triggered vitamin D deficiency, but also a gentle reminder to break out the sunscreen. Solar UV rays are about to get a lot more intense as the Earth's northern hemisphere begins to tilt towards the sun.

You'll want to hang on to your winter tires as the last stubborn cold fronts pass through our skies, but that doesn't mean you can't dig out the golf clubs, prep the garden and listen carefully – the birds are singing again.  

The Okanagan's Royal Astronomical Society is inviting the public to witness the Vernal Equinox at the Pen Henge standing stones atop Munson Mountain. If the skies are clear, people will be able to observe the shadow of tonight's setting sun align perfectly with the heel stone.

News from © iNFOnews, 2013
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