Autumn Equinox 2022: What time is it and how is it celebrated around the world?

With a chill now in the air and green leaves slowly fading to brown, it's clear that summer is finally over. And with that comes the highly anticipated Autumn Equinox

Summer is officially over, and the Autumn Equinox is set to occur tomorrow (September 22) at 12.44pm GMT (1.44pm BST).

The afternoon event will officially mark the start of Autumn in the northern hemisphere, with the length of day and night also set to be in almost equal parts.

Royal Museums Greenwich explained: "The Earth is tilted on its axis. This means that the Sun illuminates the northern or southern hemisphere more depending on where the Earth is along its orbit.

"However, at two points in the year the Sun will illuminate the northern and southern hemispheres equally. These are known as the equinoxes."

As hinted by the observatory, our four seasons largely depend on how the Earth moves around the Sun.

Equinoxes, which kick off Spring and Autumn, occur when the Sun lands equally on both hemispheres, while solstices take place when Earth sees its strongest tilt towards or away from the Sun, marking Summer and Winter.

It's thought these astronomical patterns were observed very early on by our ancestors who were experts in the outdoors.

When using the Sun to calculate time, they noticed these changes, giving rise to the way we view seasons today.

The Autumn Equinox is a time of celebration in many cultures too. In 2019, hundreds of brave Brits gathered for a mass skinny dip in the sea during the equinox, while others may typically light bonfires or candles.

While the Autumn Equinox is typically the point at which day and night are approximately 12 hours each, this won't be the case for the UK.

This is primarily because sunlight is refracted by our atmosphere, according to the BBC, meaning that light will appear before the Sun has actually risen.

Consequently, the report suggests we'll enjoy a few additional minutes of light after the Sun has set.

Once the Autumn Equinox passes, the UK will see much darker nights, so it's essential to make the most of it while you can.

The clocks are scheduled to go back on October 27 and, despite giving us an extra hour in bed, it's a clear indication that Winter is undoubtedly on its way.