Spring begins in the northern hemisphere of the Earth
The start date of spring this 2024 will be Monday March 20th and will last 92 days until summer then begins on June 21st.
Spring begins in Earth’s northern hemisphere each year when the vernal equinox occurs.
Every six months, once in March and once in September, the equinox divides Earth’s day in half, leaving 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of night.
What is the equinox and how does it work?
The equinoxes are the times when day and night are of equal length.
They happen when the sun is exactly over a planet’s equator, and this causes the terminator, which is the line that divides the day and night zones, to pass through the planet’s north and south poles.
This unique angle means that all parts of the planet receive approximately the same amount of light and shadow for one day twice a year: these biannual phenomena are called the Vernal equinox and the Autumnal equinox.
In the northern hemisphere of the earth, the vernal equinox signals the arrival of spring during March. And the autumnal equinox marks the beginning of autumn in September.
These two equinoxes mark the change of season along with the two annual solstices; the summer solstice, for Saint John, and the winter solstice, a few days before Christmas.
The time change, at the end of March
The morning of March 30-31 will have to change the time to welcome DST 2024.
At 2 a.m. on Sunday 31, it will become 3 a.m. and, therefore, an hour of sunlight will be gained in the afternoons.
According to the Royal Decree that governs the time change in Spain, the start of summer time is established on the last Sunday of March each year.
The next time change, from summer to winter, will take place on Sunday 27 October 2024, when clocks will be set back from 3am to 2am.
The signs that spring is starting
When spring arrives, we know that the temperatures will gradually rise.
The increase in daylight hours is also an important factor, and let’s leave behind those afternoons with little light.
Deciduous trees begin to sprout and including conifers and cupressaceae begin their flowering period.
However, it is the time when the first peaks of pollen allergy occur.
Astronomical agenda spring 2024 in Catalonia
Penumbral eclipse of the Moon
A penumbral eclipse will occur on March 25 that will be visible in several parts of the world, including the entire American continent, eastern Asia, Oceania, as well as western Africa and Europe.
In Barcelona, this phenomenon will only be observable for a short period of time in its initial phase. To be able to see the eclipse, observers will have to direct their gaze towards the west at the moment when the moon begins to hide over the horizon, at 5:53 am. Visibility of the eclipse will end at 6:53 a.m., when the moon has already set completely below the horizon.
Solar eclipse
The eclipse will be total and will occur on April 8. It will start over the South Pacific Ocean and move towards the coast of Mexico.
New moon
January 11, February 9, March 10, April 9, May 8, June 7, July 6, August 5, September 3, October 3, November 1 and 30 of December
Full moon
August 19, September 18, October 17 and November 15.
Lyrid star shower
Between 16 and 25 April they can be seen, with the main crowd on Monday 22 April.