JEDDAH — The astronomical spring season formally started in Saudi Arabia and throughout the Northern Hemisphere on Friday, March 20, 2026, marking the top of winter, which lasted 88 days, 23 hours and 41 minutes.
Majed Abu Zahra, president of the Jeddah Astronomical Society, mentioned the vernal equinox occurred at 5:46 p.m. Makkah time, the second that defines the beginning of spring astronomically.
He defined that on the time of the equinox, the solar is positioned instantly above the equator, distributing its gentle nearly evenly between the Northern and Southern Hemispheres because it seems to cross the celestial equator from south to north.
Abu Zahra famous that the equinox ends in practically equal lengths of day and evening throughout most elements of the world, though daytime is barely longer by a couple of minutes.
He attributed this to the solar being noticed as a disc relatively than a degree, along with atmospheric refraction, which makes it seem larger than its precise place and extends daylight by roughly 5 to seven minutes in mid-latitudes.
He added that on the day of the equinox, the solar rises precisely from the east and units precisely within the west, a phenomenon that happens solely twice a 12 months.
Astronomical spring is predicted to proceed for about 92 days, 17 hours and 40 minutes, till the summer time solstice on June 21.
