My shot taken along the lower road near Cwmsidian not far from where I live.
(Better on Black)
When does autumn start?
This year according to THE ASTRONOMICAL CALENDAR Autumn begins TODAY on 23 September 2022 and ends on 21 December 2022.
HOWEVER there are two separate dates which could be said to mark the start of autumn in calendars. One is defined by the Earth's axis and orbit around the Sun and the second is a fixed date which is used by meteorologists for consistent spacing and lengths of the seasons.
ASTRONOMICAL AUTUMN
Usually, when we talk about the first day of autumn we are referring to the astronomical autumn which is defined by the Earth's axis and orbit around the Sun.
This year autumn begins on 23 September 2022 and ends on 21 December 2022.
The astronomical calendar determines the seasons due to the 23.5 degrees of tilt of the Earth's rotational axis in relation to its orbit around the Sun. Both equinoxes and solstices are related to the Earth's orbit around the Sun.
METEOROLOGICAL AUTUMN
Meteorological seasons are derived by splitting the year into four periods made up of three months each. These seasons are split to coincide with our Gregorian calendar, making it easier for meteorological observing and forecasting to compare seasonal and monthly statistics. By the meteorological calendar, the first day of autumn is always 1 September; ending on 30 November.
The seasons are defined as spring (March, April, May), summer (June, July, August), autumn (September, October, November) and winter (December, January, February).
Which ever date you choose to go by we are officially in Autumn by both calendars now!
