All articles tagged with #equinox
The autumnal equinox marks the start of fall in the Northern Hemisphere, with day and night approximately equal in length, and is celebrated worldwide with festivals and cultural events. It also coincides with the spring in the Southern Hemisphere and includes a potential lunar eclipse for some regions.
A strong X-class solar flare is heading towards Earth, potentially causing auroras visible in WNY over the next few nights. Weak auroras may be visible tonight, with the main event expected Sunday night to Monday night, reaching G2-G3 geomagnetic storm levels. However, the nearly full Moon and unpredictability of solar flares make the exact timing and impact uncertain, so disappointment is possible.
Chevrolet unveils the 2025 Equinox, the fourth generation of its best-selling SUV, featuring new connectivity, standard safety technology, and a tough design inspired by the brand’s trucks. The model, set to hit dealerships in mid-2024, will be priced in the $28K-$33K range and will be manufactured in Mexico. The new Equinox will offer an all-new trim called Activ, a larger infotainment screen, and driver-selectable modes, along with a laundry list of standard safety tech. The future of gas-powered Equinox models will depend on market demand, and the 2025 model aims to elevate the brand's SUV lineup.
Saturn's iconic rings are set to disappear from view briefly in 2025 due to the tilt of the planet as it orbits the sun. The rings give the illusion of disappearing during an equinox when they cross Saturn's orbital plane, occurring every 15 years. The rings are made up of millions of small chunks of ice and rock, believed to be remnants of comets, asteroids, and shattered moons. Scientists have discovered that the rings are being pulled into the planet by its gravity, and they estimate that the rings could disappear completely within the next 300 million years.
Saturn's iconic rings are disappearing and will be temporarily invisible from Earth in 2025 due to the gas giant tilting on-edge with Earth, making the rings appear as an almost invisible line. This phenomenon, known as a Saturnian equinox, occurs approximately every 15 years. The rings are composed of debris such as comets, asteroids, dust, and ice, and are dissipating at an alarming rate. Scientists estimate that the rings may completely vanish within the next 300 million years. Despite their eventual disappearance, the rings are considered relatively young and could have formed during the era of the dinosaurs on Earth.
The last supermoon of 2023, known as the Harvest Moon, will be visible on September 28 and 29. Supermoons occur when the moon is at or near perigee, its closest point to Earth. This supermoon will appear brighter and larger, providing a spectacular sight for sky-watchers. In the northern hemisphere, the Harvest Moon historically aided farmers in harvesting crops by providing extra light after sunset. The best viewing times will be in the early hours of Friday morning for the western hemisphere and Friday evening for the eastern hemisphere.
The European Space Agency (ESA) shared a satellite image showcasing the Autumn equinox, which marks the division of day and night on Earth's surface. During an equinox, day and night are approximately equal in length all across the globe. The image is significant as it represents the moment when the Sun crossed the celestial equator, signifying the autumn equinox in the Northern Hemisphere.
This week in the night sky, stargazers can observe the waxing crescent Moon and its "Earthshine" on Monday, a crescent Moon near Antares on Wednesday, the First Quarter Moon and a chance to see Mercury on Friday, and the Autumnal Equinox on Saturday. The Equinox marks the beginning of astronomical fall in the northern hemisphere and spring in the southern hemisphere. Additionally, the Equinox is a great time to witness the Zodiacal Light, a cone of faint white light seen in the eastern night sky before dawn.
Röbynn Europe, a Black fitness professional, sued Equinox gym for creating a hostile work environment and firing her due to racism and sexism. Despite Equinox's claim that they did nothing wrong, a jury awarded Europe $11.25 million in damages. Europe claimed that a white male manager made offensive comments about Black women's bodies and employees of color at the gym, leading to a stressful environment that worsened her bulimia. Equinox has filed a motion to have the case reevaluated, arguing that the settlement amount was not justified.
Equinox, a high-end gym franchise, has been ordered to pay $11.25 million in damages to Röbynn Europe, a former employee who claimed she was fired for being a black woman. A predominantly white jury agreed with her claims of a hostile work environment and discrimination based on race and gender. The verdict follows a pattern of recent transformative social movements around race and gender that may reframe the way juries think about the long shadow of emotional disruption that bigotry or sexual violence can produce. Equinox has filed a motion to reconsider the case, maintaining that the jurors had "erroneously" bought into the plaintiff's claim that she had been the victim of racial animus.
NASA's James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has captured the first image of Uranus, revealing a featureless and monochrome planet similar to the images captured by Voyager 2 in 1986. Uranus is unique in the Solar System as it rotates on its side, and its poles experience 42 years of sunlight and 42 years of darkness as it orbits the Sun. Uranus will reach solstice in 2028, and the ideal launch window for an orbiter-and-probe mission to Uranus occurs between 2030 and 2034, which could give us a never-before-seen, close-up view of the planet.
The vernal equinox, which marks the end of winter and the first day of spring in the Northern Hemisphere, occurs on March 20 at 5:24 p.m. Eastern time. Equinoxes happen twice a year, in March and September, and mark the precise moment in time when the sun appears directly over the Earth’s equator. During the March equinox, the sun’s direct rays cross Earth’s equator into the Northern Hemisphere. Both hemispheres receive equal amounts of the sun’s energy, resulting in nearly equal day and night everywhere on Earth. The days have been steadily getting longer since mid-December, but we experience the fastest increase in daylight around the spring equinox. Temperatures will inevitably march upward as we head toward summer, with above-average temperatures forecasted across the eastern and south-central United States.
The first day of spring starts on Monday afternoon, marking the start of the Persian New Year, the countdown to Easter, and the lesser-known of two Earth Days. The Northern Hemisphere will begin tilting toward the sun, bringing longer and warmer days. The season is expected to bring hotter than average temperatures to the East Coast, with a slightly above average chance of more precipitation than usual this spring. Expect temperatures in the mid to upper 50s on Monday and Tuesday, followed by a chance of rain on Wednesday.