Just as with the vernal equinox, ancient temples from Peru’s Machu Picchu to Cambodia’s Angkor Wat honor the changing season with sun-soaked wonders. Late September marks autumn’s start in the northern hemisphere, with the sun once again hovering over Earth’s equator. Book a campsite early on to secure a spot for all-night sky gazing. Consider camping at Utah’s Arches National Park, Montana’s Glacier National Park or California’s Joshua Tree National Park – all certified as International Dark Sky Parks by the IDA. Often devoid of light pollution, US national parks provide some of the best backdrops for the Perseids. The display will occur from July 14 to September 1 in dark-sky locations, it might be possible to see around 100 meteors per hour when the showers peak between August 12 and 13. Observation conditions will be ideal this year, with warm weather and a waning crescent moon that won’t wash out the fireballs. August 12–13: The peak of the Perseids meteor showerĮvery summer, the Perseids ignite night skies in the northern hemisphere with what’s arguably nature’s greatest fireworks display. The gathering is free and open to the public, though parking fills up quickly taking public transit is advised. In June, thousands of druids, pagans and other mystics cheer as the sun rises above the horizon, bathing the heart of the mysterious 5000-year-old stone circle in its golden rays. The effect is created by El Castillo – a pyramid built around 800 CE within the Mayan complex of Chichén Itzá – whose shadows form the shape of a 120-foot-long snake, believed to honor the serpent god Kukulkán in hopes of a fruitful harvest.įor those intrigued by the ancient art of sun worship, join revelers at England’s Stonehenge, whose monoliths align with the yellow dwarf star during both the summer and winter solstices. For one of the most impressive displays, fly to Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula, where a slithering shadow crawls across gray limestone on key afternoons of the year, including the spring equinox. ![]() Human beings around the world have paid homage to this astronomical milestone for millions of years, and it’s moving indeed to celebrate the event at ancient architectural sites around the world. In the northern hemisphere, it signals longer days and warmer weather ahead in the southern hemisphere, it marks autumn’s arrival. The spring (or vernal) equinox marks one of two days during the year when the sun passes directly over Earth’s equator, creating a near-equal amount of daytime and nighttime globally. On the spring equinox, the light falling on Chichén Itzá’s El Castillo pyramid creates a serpentine shadow © BornaMir / iStockphoto / Getty Images March 20: The spring equinox
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