I felt that this article was very redundant in regards to how it went about explaining the March equinox; after reading this article, I can't foresee ever forgetting that on March 20th (or 21st, depending) the length of day and night is nearly equal in all parts of the world. There were also a few other (not as nuanced) facts discussed in this article that I believe to be imperative to understanding the equinox. For one, it is evident that different hemispheres experience alternate seasons based on the axis of the earth which is why- for the most part- certain sources refer to the equinoxes by month name rather than by seasonal name to avoid confusion (i.e. vernal and autumnal). Though this makes sense, I’m confused as to why this is the case when the solstices are referred to in a seasonal manner (summer and winter)- do sources go out of their way to refer to these as the June and December solstices rather than summer and winter? If so, that doesn’t seem quite right to me, seeing as how scientifically they are referred to in other terms. Or, is that not the case because the solstice marks the end of one season and the beginning of another- and likewise, the beginning and end- based on hemisphere... and therefore, technically the terms summer and winter make sense? I don’t even know if that is a cohesive statement/question... and I think I may have answered it for myself just then... but regardless, I’d be curious to find out the reasoning behind how similar sources reference the summer and winter solstices.
Also, I thought it was purposeful the way the article went into greater detail about day length, and explained that (though the day will be pretty much the same worldwide) places further away from the equator will experience a slightly longer day due to the fact that the “sun takes longer to rise and set farther from the equator because it does not set straight down - it moves in a horizontal direction.” I wasn’t crazy about how the article fell short of further explaining certain things such as the reasoning behind the atmospheric refraction which causes the sun to appear higher in the sky, and simply redirected the reader to another website rather than taking the time to go a little more in depth. However, I guess that this information is not necessarily imperative to the equinox. Regardless, I also enjoyed the brief snippets of information regarding the history behind the equinox and the role it plays in the celebrations amongst varying cultures. The fact that the March equinox is a symbol of rebirth for many cultures contextualizes religious beliefs within the natural sector, making the thread which synthesizes different worldly customs conceptually accessible and- in less academic terms- I just think the whole idea behind that phenomenon in general is totally wicked awesome.
Also, I thought it was purposeful the way the article went into greater detail about day length, and explained that (though the day will be pretty much the same worldwide) places further away from the equator will experience a slightly longer day due to the fact that the “sun takes longer to rise and set farther from the equator because it does not set straight down - it moves in a horizontal direction.” I wasn’t crazy about how the article fell short of further explaining certain things such as the reasoning behind the atmospheric refraction which causes the sun to appear higher in the sky, and simply redirected the reader to another website rather than taking the time to go a little more in depth. However, I guess that this information is not necessarily imperative to the equinox. Regardless, I also enjoyed the brief snippets of information regarding the history behind the equinox and the role it plays in the celebrations amongst varying cultures. The fact that the March equinox is a symbol of rebirth for many cultures contextualizes religious beliefs within the natural sector, making the thread which synthesizes different worldly customs conceptually accessible and- in less academic terms- I just think the whole idea behind that phenomenon in general is totally wicked awesome.
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