Source-backedVariable Custom

September Equinox / First Day of Astronomical Autumn

U.S. Naval Observatory season data define the equinox as the astronomical season boundary and provide target-year instants. The local civil date can differ by time zone and hemisphere context must be preserved.

Date / ruleSeptember equinox; 23 September 2026 at 00:05 UTC (civil date can differ by time zone)
ScopeAstronomical / Northern Hemisphere autumn begins at the September equinox; Southern Hemisphere season is spring
VerificationOfficial Astronomical Ephemeris Variable Date Verified
PortabilityVariable Custom
Evidence statusSource-backed
Last authority check2026-09-09
Target-year policyResolve Authority
Next occurrenceNot projected automatically

This record requires a current target-year source or is intentionally historical.

Authority summary

What is September Equinox / First Day of Astronomical Autumn?

U.S. Naval Observatory season data define the equinox as the astronomical season boundary and provide target-year instants. The local civil date can differ by time zone and hemisphere context must be preserved.

Date and recurrence

September equinox; 23 September 2026 at 00:05 UTC (civil date can differ by time zone)

The date is source-dependent or variable. A target-year source is required before assigning it to a calendar.

Scope and status

The verified scope stored for this record is Astronomical / Northern Hemisphere autumn begins at the September equinox; Southern Hemisphere season is spring. The site preserves that boundary and does not infer broader government, global or public-holiday status from the observance name alone.

Also known as

First Day of Autumn

Classification

Topic and context

Animals, Nature & Environment →
Accuracy controls

What this page does not assume

  • Keep the source-defined country, community, organizer or institutional scope; do not silently broaden it.
  • Do not treat the title alone as proof of government recognition or public-holiday status.
  • Do not add a creator, founding story or origin claim unless the supporting evidence establishes it.
  • Refresh the target year before publishing a new date when the record is not safely portable.
Provenance

Sources

Source policy →
  1. U.S. Naval Observatory — Earth’s SeasonsOfficial Astronomical Authority
  2. U.S. Naval Observatory — 2026 seasons calculationOfficial Astronomical Authority
Reader questions

Frequently asked questions

When is September Equinox / First Day of Astronomical Autumn?

September equinox; 23 September 2026 at 00:05 UTC (civil date can differ by time zone) The stored recurrence guidance is: Resolve the September equinox instant for the target year from an astronomical ephemeris, then convert to the reader’s local time zone; northern-hemisphere autumn / southern-hemisphere spring.

Does September Equinox / First Day of Astronomical Autumn fall on the same date every year?

It is not safely predictable from a fixed rule; the target year needs a current source.

Is September Equinox / First Day of Astronomical Autumn an official public holiday?

The authority record verifies it within this scope: Astronomical / Northern Hemisphere autumn begins at the September equinox; Southern Hemisphere season is spring. That recognition does not by itself make it a statutory public holiday; the site only makes public-holiday claims when the supporting authority record explicitly does so.

Who established or recognizes September Equinox / First Day of Astronomical Autumn?

The stored designation basis is: U.S. Naval Observatory season data define the equinox as the astronomical season boundary and provide target-year instants. The local civil date can differ by time zone and hemisphere context must be preserved.. Supporting provenance includes U.S. Naval Observatory — Earth’s Seasons. The site does not infer a separate creator or founder unless reviewed evidence establishes one.

Is September Equinox / First Day of Astronomical Autumn international or country-specific?

No single country is assigned to this record in the authority dataset. The source-defined scope is: Astronomical / Northern Hemisphere autumn begins at the September equinox; Southern Hemisphere season is spring. Use that scope rather than assuming worldwide or country-specific status.

How is this page verified?

The factual layer is source-backed and keeps its date rule, scope, provenance and editorial guardrails attached to the authority record. This record was checked on 2026-09-09.

Explore further

Related observances with useful context

More in this topic →

Related records are selected from shared ontology signals. When a reviewed distinction exists, it is labeled separately so “related” is not mistaken for “the same observance.”