Vasant Sampad Kritu

[Guest guest]

March 20, 2007: For most people, March 21 is just another day. But,

from an astronomical point of view, it is a very special day indeed.

 

For this day is one of two in the year when the world receives

exactly 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of darkness. It's known as

the Vernal Equinox; or, in Hindu culture, the Vasant Sampad Kritu.

 

" An equinox in astronomy is the event when the sun can be observed

directly above the Earth's equator, " explained Bharat Adur, an

astronomer at the Akashganga Centre for Astronomy. " This event

occurs around March 20-21 and September 23 each year. This year, the

Vernal Equinox will occur at 12:37 a.m. on March 21. "

 

Here's a layman's explanation:

 

The seasons are caused by the 23.5º tilt of the earth's axis. The

earth rotates like a top, pointing in a fixed direction

continuously — towards the North Star and at the same time also

revolves around the sun.

 

" During one half of the year, the southern hemisphere has more

sunlight, " said amateur astronomer V Krishnamurthy. " During the rest

of the year, the reverse is true. However, on two specific days a

year, the day and night are exactly equal — the southern and

northern hemispheres see 12 hours of day and 12 hours of night each. "

 

March 21 is the Vernal Equinox, and September 23 is the Autumnal

Equinox. This also means that the summer has officially set in.

 

" Though the Vernal Equinox doesn't have any climatic significance,

it augurs the onset of summer, " a weather bureau official noted.

 

SOURCE: DNA India. Summer is officially here. By Deepa Suryanarayan.

Tuesday, March 20, 2007 23:40 IST

URL: http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?NewsID=1086114

[Guest guest]

Also the start of Spring Navaratri. Jai Ma!

 

 

On Behalf Of Devi Bhakta

Wednesday, March 21, 2007 9:29 AM

 

Vasant Sampad Kritu