Why Australia is now facing six months of longer nights

Australians are now facing six months of longer nights after yesterday marked the southern hemisphere’s autumn equinox.

The autumn and spring equinoxes, which take place in March and September every year, are days when the sun is positioned directly over the equator, and the time of day and night are about equal.

While the equinox in September signals the start of longer days, yesterday’s event means six months of longer nights are underway.

“This change in Earth’s tilt relative to the sun causes nights to become longer than days everywhere south of the equator.”

Complementing the equinoxes are the solstices, which mark in winter and summer the shortest and longest days of the year.

In Australia, the winter solstice for 2024 is set for Friday, June 21.