Pack up the shorts and sundresses, and pull out the sweaters, jeans, and boots. The first day of fall has arrived.
Despite students going to school weeks ago, the official start of fall arrives on Tuesday.
The day marks the equinox, which happens twice a year—once in spring and again now.
An equinox means there is the same amount of daylight as night, USA Today explained.
It is different from the solstices, which have either shorter (spring) or longer (winter) nights.
While Sept. 22 is the first day of fall this year, the equinox will happen at exactly 8:05 p.m. ET, NASA said.
With the change of seasons, you’ll start seeing it happen before your eyes as leaves change color.
Google is also celebrating the first day of fall. If users type “fall equinox” into Google, they’ll be welcomed by falling leaves. Autumn also works, or you can click here to experience it.
USA Today ranked the best 10 spots to visit this fall. They are:
- Mackinac Island, Michigan
- Allegany County, Maryland
- Woodstock, Georgia
- Gatlinburg, Tennessee
- Lafayette, Louisiana
- Rochester, New York
- Saratoga County, New York
- Burlington, Vermont
- Yakima Valley, Washington
- Sleepy Hollow, New York
Condé Nast ranked the top places to see fall foliage this year, including:
- Blue Ridge Mountains, Georgia
- The Berkshires, Massachusetts
- Stowe, Vermont
- Great Smoky Mountains, Tennessee and North Carolina
- Aspen, Colorado
- Sun Valley, Idaho
- North Cascades, Washington
- Laurel Hill, Pennsylvania
- Franconia Notch State Park, New Hampshire
- Adirondacks, New York
- Columbia River Gorge, Northern Oregon
- Shenandoah National Park, Virginia
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