The Vernal Equinox determines the first day of spring. The Autumn Equinox is what determines the first day of fall.
Spring, Fall - Equinox Summer, Winter - Solstice
Spring equinox occurs around March 20 and Fall equinox occurs around September 22 for the Northern Hemisphere. For the Southern Hemisphere these dates are opposite; the Spring equinox is around September 22 and the Fall equinox occurs around March 20.
The Spring and Fall Equinoxes are the first days of Spring and Fall. In the southern hemisphere, this is not the case. The Spring equinox occurs around the 21st or 22nd of September, not the first day of Spring, which is September 1. The Autumn equinox occurs around the 21st or 22nd of March, not the first day of Autumn, which is March 1.
Equinox
In North America, the first day of fall is considered to be on September's equinox. Every year, there is another equinox around March 20.
Sept. 22
That is the Vernal Equinox; as opposed to the first day of Fall's Autumnal Equinox.
The Vernal Equinox determines the first day of spring. The Autumn Equinox is what determines the first day of fall.
The equinox is the only day of 12 hours of night and day. It Occurs every spring and fall.
The northern hemisphere has two seasons at a time. In the northwest, the official first day of fall is September 21st. In the northeast, the official first day of fall is June 21st. Technically, though, if you looked at the real symptoms of fall, the first days of fall would be October 24th in the northwest and May 24th in the northeast.
the autumnal equinox
The adjectives vernal and autumnal mean "of spring" and "of autumn (fall)" respectively. The equinox, when the day and night are even, occurs twice a year. Once in spring and once in autumn (fall) as we move from the extremes of the summer and winter solstices. Therefore we have a vernal equinox (in spring) and an autumnal equinox (in autumn/fall).
In the Spring and Fall equinox, night and day have the same number of hours. Equi = equal.
The answer is autumnal equinox.
Spring, Fall - Equinox Summer, Winter - Solstice
Spring equinox occurs around March 20 and Fall equinox occurs around September 22 for the Northern Hemisphere. For the Southern Hemisphere these dates are opposite; the Spring equinox is around September 22 and the Fall equinox occurs around March 20.