Days Since Date

Season start dates: equinoxes and solstices 2020 to 2039

Exact UTC instants for all four seasonal turning points in each of 20 years. Across the whole range the March equinox lands only on the 20th of March, which is the drift a leap year cycle allows.

Every equinox and solstice by year

YearMarch equinoxJune solsticeSeptember equinoxDecember solstice
Seasons 202020 March 03:49 UTC20 June 21:43 UTC22 September 13:30 UTC21 December 10:02 UTC
Seasons 202120 March 09:37 UTC21 June 03:31 UTC22 September 19:20 UTC21 December 15:59 UTC
Seasons 202220 March 15:33 UTC21 June 09:13 UTC23 September 01:04 UTC21 December 21:47 UTC
Seasons 202320 March 21:24 UTC21 June 14:57 UTC23 September 06:50 UTC22 December 03:27 UTC
Seasons 202420 March 03:06 UTC20 June 20:50 UTC22 September 12:43 UTC21 December 09:20 UTC
Seasons 202520 March 09:01 UTC21 June 02:42 UTC22 September 18:19 UTC21 December 15:03 UTC
Seasons 202620 March 14:45 UTC21 June 08:24 UTC23 September 00:05 UTC21 December 20:50 UTC
Seasons 202720 March 20:24 UTC21 June 14:10 UTC23 September 06:01 UTC22 December 02:42 UTC
Seasons 202820 March 02:17 UTC20 June 20:01 UTC22 September 11:45 UTC21 December 08:19 UTC
Seasons 202920 March 08:01 UTC21 June 01:48 UTC22 September 17:37 UTC21 December 14:14 UTC
Seasons 203020 March 13:51 UTC21 June 07:31 UTC22 September 23:27 UTC21 December 20:09 UTC
Seasons 203120 March 19:40 UTC21 June 13:17 UTC23 September 05:15 UTC22 December 01:55 UTC
Seasons 203220 March 01:22 UTC20 June 19:08 UTC22 September 11:10 UTC21 December 07:56 UTC
Seasons 203320 March 07:22 UTC21 June 01:00 UTC22 September 16:51 UTC21 December 13:45 UTC
Seasons 203420 March 13:17 UTC21 June 06:44 UTC22 September 22:39 UTC21 December 19:33 UTC
Seasons 203520 March 19:03 UTC21 June 12:32 UTC23 September 04:38 UTC22 December 01:30 UTC
Seasons 203620 March 01:02 UTC20 June 18:31 UTC22 September 10:23 UTC21 December 07:12 UTC
Seasons 203720 March 06:49 UTC21 June 00:22 UTC22 September 16:12 UTC21 December 13:07 UTC
Seasons 203820 March 12:40 UTC21 June 06:09 UTC22 September 22:02 UTC21 December 19:02 UTC
Seasons 203920 March 18:32 UTC21 June 11:57 UTC23 September 03:49 UTC22 December 00:40 UTC

What is the difference between astronomical and meteorological seasons?

Astronomical seasons begin at the equinoxes and solstices, so their dates move by a day or two and their lengths are unequal. Meteorological seasons are fixed to whole calendar months, spring running 1 March to 31 May in the northern hemisphere, which makes year on year statistics comparable. Weather services use the second; almanacs, calendars and most people use the first. This site lists the astronomical instants, because those are the ones that need calculating.

Why does the equinox fall on a different date each year?

The equinox is the instant the centre of the Sun crosses the celestial equator. It happens at one moment for the whole planet, so a UTC time close to midnight puts the event on one calendar date in London and the day before or after in Sydney or Los Angeles. The same applies to the solstices. That is also why the popular claim that day and night are exactly equal at the equinox is only approximately true: atmospheric refraction and the fact that sunrise is timed from the Sun's upper edge push the day of equal length a few days earlier.

Related calendars

Next full moonNext new moonMeteor shower calendarEclipse calendar

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