Technologies

The Spring Equinox Is Coming Soon: When and What You Need to Know

After a long, cold winter, the vernal equinox heralds the arrival of spring in the Northern Hemisphere. But have you heard the myth about balancing an egg on its end?

Despite the long winter, I can feel how close spring is. Here in California, blossoms are blossoming, trees are budding and the orange poppies are starting to pop. The vernal equinox is coming soon, signaling the astronomical start of spring in the Northern Hemisphere.

Though equinoxes might not get the same attention as solstices, they’re a lovely way to observe the seasons shifting. Let’s get to know the vernal equinox, what it is and why it happens.

What is the spring equinox?

You’ve no doubt noticed the lengthening of daylight as winter winds down (especially with daylight saving coming this weekend). The vernal equinox marks the tipping point into longer days.

The word “equinox” comes from the Latin words for equal and night. Daylight and night are roughly equal during the equinox. We experience two each year — the vernal equinox in the spring and the autumnal equinox in the fall. The word “vernal” traces to Latin and references spring.

The Earth spins on an axis (think of it like a line running from pole to pole) with a 23.5-degree tilt. Some parts of the planet get more direct sunlight than others. That’s how we get our seasons, and how it can be summer in the Northern Hemisphere while it’s winter in the Southern Hemisphere.

“The spring equinox is when the Northern Hemisphere transitions from being pointed away from the sun (during winter) to being pointed toward the sun (during summer),” says Emily Rice, associate professor of astrophysics at the Macaulay Honors College of the City University of New York. “The tilt is lined up with Earth’s orbit for just a moment.” That’s when we get nearly equal amounts of daylight and night.

When does the vernal equinox happen?

The spring equinox has a specific time, occurring at 10:46 a.m. ET/7:46 a.m. PT, on Friday, March 20.

How are equinoxes different from solstices?

Solstices are the extremes of days and nights. The summer solstice is the longest day, and the winter solstice is the shortest. In 2026, the summer solstice for the Northern Hemisphere occurs on June 21, and the winter solstice happens on Dec. 21.

Solstices get more love than equinoxes.

“The extremes are easier to mark and to visualize than the inflection points, which are more subtle changes, so the solstices get all the attention,” says Rice. All of them are related to Earth’s tilt and the sun, so think of solstices and equinoxes as siblings that each have their own seasonal connection.

What the equinox looks like from space

It can be challenging to visualize the Earth’s tilt and what happens during an equinox from down on the ground, so NASA put together a video showing the Earth as seen by a satellite.

It tracks our planet through its seasons. Watch how night and daylight shift over time.

How to celebrate the spring equinox

Perhaps you’ve heard that the only day you can balance a raw egg on its end is on the equinox. This legend might be accompanied by some vague discussion points about Earth’s gravity and alignment, and the sun.

One of Rice’s annual equinox duties is debunking the egg-balancing myth.

“Astronomers are usually on the internet telling people that no, they can’t actually balance an egg on its end only on an equinox,” she said. You can go ahead and try it, but be sure to also test it out on a day that’s not the equinox. I pulled it off on Feb. 27, in case you’re wondering.

An equinox is a subtle phenomenon. There are no showy celestial events to mark the day. Don’t let that deter you. The vernal equinox is what you make of it.

“Considering that the Earth’s orbit doesn’t have a beginning or an end, a year could really be started any time, and the equinox is more astronomically meaningful than Jan. 1,” says Rice.

You can come up with your own way to celebrate the occasion. Tell your friends and co-workers it’s the start of astronomical spring. Plant some seeds. Clean your house. Spend time outside. Make plans for spring break. And take a moment to toast the sun, the Earth’s tilt and our place in space that brings us the vernal equinox.

Technologies

Trump Maintains US‑Iran Negotiations Continue Amid Tehran’s Denials of Duplicity

President Trump insists that US‑Iran talks are ongoing despite Tehran’s denial of any negotiation plans, while warning that only a deal or total surrender will allow passage through the Strait of Hormuz. Conflicting statements from both sides have heightened uncertainty as the conflict enters its sixth month.

On Monday, President Donald Trump asserted that negotiations between the United States and Iran are still taking place, even after Tehran stated it has no intention of engaging in direct talks with Washington.

In a fiery Truth Social post, Trump labeled Iran’s leaders “unbelievably duplicitous,” claiming they are lying about ongoing peace talks “whether Iran wants to admit it or not.” He repeated his assertion that the United States completely controls the Strait of Hormuz, despite maritime traffic through the crucial route lingering at only a small fraction of pre‑conflict levels.

He wrote, “Nothing reaches Iran unless we allow it, and nothing will pass unless a deal—or total surrender—is achieved.”

Earlier that day, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei told reporters there is no imminent plan for U.S.–Iran negotiations, contradicting Trump’s earlier comment that talks would resume Monday afternoon. Baghaei added that Iran’s only current discussions are with Oman concerning the Strait of Hormuz.

The conflicting statements have heightened uncertainty over the peace‑talk process and the broader conflict, now in its sixth month.

Trump’s assertion about new negotiations came a day after he said on Truth Social that he had agreed to cancel a massive strike against Iran “subject to being able to rapidly make a DEAL.” He said in the same post that Iran and other Middle Eastern countries had asked him to hold off on that attack because “the perimeters of a deal has been agreed to.”

Trump has claimed dozens of times throughout the more‑than‑five‑month‑long war that a deal is at hand. No permanent deal has been signed, and a temporary ceasefire reached in June has fallen apart.

Trump has also repeatedly threatened to launch devastating strikes against Iran before backing off. After the latest example, oil prices on Monday fell and stocks surged.

BMI, a research unit of Fitch Solutions, said in a note Monday that a broader diplomatic understanding on reopening the Strait of Hormuz is still achievable this quarter, while raising the probability of its escalation scenario to 35% from 25%, citing mounting military, diplomatic and economic signs of rising U.S.-Iran tensions.

“Diplomatic progress is likely to be punctuated by periodic military flare-ups, while miscalculation by either side could trigger a renewed escalation,” BMI analysts wrote in a note. The firm said the key issue to watch is the future governance of the strait, as the Iran-Oman talks — potentially backed by Gulf states, China and the U.S. — point to efforts to build a post-conflict shipping framework.

Shipping risks persist even as diplomacy appears to be advancing. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Centre said it received a report of an incident 20 nautical miles (23 miles) northeast of Khasab, Oman — at the mouth of the strait — with a tanker’s master reporting an explosion in close proximity to the vessel at about 20:37 UTC Sunday (4:37 pm ET). The vessel and crew were safe and authorities are investigating, UKMTO said, advising ships to transit with caution.

The proposal Trump announced over the weekend calls for the U.S. and Iran to return to negotiations and continue ironing out some of the thorny issues that had derailed diplomatic efforts, according to The Associated Press, citing a regional official involved in the mediation efforts.

The official said the proposal also includes a reopening of the Hormuz Strait and halting attacks across the region, including by Iranian-backed militias in Iraq on the Arab Gulf countries and Jordan.

The U.S., for its part, will end its naval blockade on Iran and allow Tehran to export its oil, the official said, adding that no deal has been reached, although the mediation efforts remained underway.

Trump’s weekend reversal has lowered the temperature after days of escalating attacks across the Gulf. Kuwait said Saturday that Iranian forces launched a wave of drones within its airspace, with its military destroying multiple aircraft after Iran targeted critical infrastructure in the country’s north.

A parallel track with Muscat is also advancing. Iranian diplomats said Tehran was close to reaching a new arrangement with Oman to manage shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a deal critical to preventing the war from escalating further, according to the Financial Times.

Iranian officials said negotiations over future management of the Hormuz Strait with Oman, which sits on the opposite shore of the waterway, are in their final stages. The agreed shipping route would be different from those used before, according to Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Baghaei, adding that the new route was separate from the issue of the strait’s reopening or continued closure.

Technologies

Oil Prices Slide as Trump Halts Planned Iran Strike

Oil prices dropped after Trump cancelled a planned strike on Iran, with WTI down about 5% and Brent near 5% lower. He said the move followed requests from Tehran and regional allies for a pause while a deal shaping the Strait of Hormuz and Iran’s nuclear program is negotiated.

Oil prices fell on Monday after President Donald Trump announced he had cancelled a planned strike on Iran. WTI futures dropped roughly 5% to $80.34 a barrel, while Brent slipped about 4.7% to $83.77 a barrel.

Trump said early Sunday he called off the strike after Iran and several Middle Eastern nations asked him to hold off, noting that the outlines of a deal had been agreed upon. He added that the prospective accord would entail the immediate, full opening of the Strait of Hormuz and an end to Iran’s nuclear ambitions, according to his Truth Social post.

The president had been considering another round of strikes as diplomatic hopes waned since the conflict began on February 28. He said the U.S. and Iran would meet for talks on Monday, but Iran denied any scheduled negotiations with Washington, citing PressTV. Iran’s foreign‑ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei clarified that Tehran was only discussing shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz with Oman. In a follow‑up Truth Social message, Trump insisted that, regardless of Iran’s acknowledgment, the United States is indeed discussing a solution to a long‑standing problem created by Iran.

Technologies

Oil Prices Drop as Trump Cancels Planned Attack on Iran

Oil prices fell sharply after President Trump announced the cancellation of a planned strike on Iran, citing a new deal that would open the Hormuz Strait and end Iran’s nuclear threat.

Oil prices fell sharply on Monday after President Donald Trump announced that he had called off a planned strike on Iran.

West Texas Intermediate futures, the U.S. benchmark, slipped roughly 5% to close at $80.34 per barrel, while Brent crude, the international benchmark, declined 4.7% to settle at $83.77 a barrel.

Trump made the announcement early Sunday, saying he had canceled the strike following requests from Tehran and other Middle Eastern countries.

In a Truth Social post, he wrote: “We have just been asked by Iran, and other Middle Eastern Countries, to hold off any attack in that the perimeters of a deal has been agreed to.”

The president indicated that the proposed agreement would include the immediate, complete, and total opening of the Hormuz Strait, as well as an end to Iran’s nuclear threat.

Trump had been weighing additional strikes amid diminishing prospects for a diplomatic resolution to the conflict that began on Feb. 28. He stated that the U.S. and Iran would hold negotiations on Monday.

Tehran denied that talks were planned with Washington, according to state news outlet PressTV.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said Tehran was only holding talks with Oman regarding the routes ships can use through the Strait of Hormuz.

In a subsequent Truth Social post, Trump added that whether “Iran wants to admit it or not, we are, in fact, talking of a solution to a problem that they have caused for decades.”