Neil deGrasse Tyson Explains the Equinox

What’s going on with the equinox? In this explainer, Neil deGrasse Tyson and comic co-host Chuck Nice honor the equinox, breaking down why we have it and how it works.
What makes the two equinoxes special days of the year? You’ll learn the difference between spring versus fall equinox and what they mean in context with the summer and winter solstices. How does the equinox differ for different parts of the world? Is the equinox the same in Alaska as it is in Brazil?
Discover the reason why the equinox isn’t actually equal night and day. How does our own atmosphere impact our hours of sunlight? What is our definition of sunrise and sunset? Is there a real equinox we don’t celebrate? But most of all… where can we get that StarTalk sweatshirt???
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About StarTalk:
Science meets pop culture on StarTalk! Astrophysicist & Hayden Planetarium director Neil deGrasse Tyson, his comic co-hosts, guest celebrities & scientists discuss astronomy, physics, and everything else about life in the universe. Keep Looking Up!
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[@ukietheoverlord3159]

Neil & Chuck are my favorite 2 guys on KZbin for the past year!

[@alainmaitre2069]

Me too . And UG . KZbin UG Krishnamurti false perception . KZbin Best of UG .

[@grantgardson]

Second to Anton Petrov of course, for he is the most wonderful person.

[@theurbanroninjaguar5655]

ME TOO... LOVE DEM... Greets from a Fan from Vienna/Austria.. 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@derekhigh8281]

@1776 Infowars it’s just his opinion man 😁

[@comala27]

Chuck is annoying wish niel would do this by himself..

[@rokxan__]

I can never wait for new startalk ✨

[@domc9037]

I'm always waiting 😳

[@rusteshackleferd8115]

@@domc9037 me too sir me too!

[@robstarski201]

But u did

[@alainmaitre2069]

You have too .

[@robstarski201]

@@alainmaitre2069 i never

[@lizette87]

First half, I was like "yeah, they taught us that in like 5th grade". Second half, I was like "wow, I did not know most of this. Cool" Also, I'm laughing until I'm crying here. Beautiful sunrise? Yeah, it will be in about five minutes 😂 Neil has such a sweet laughter. This new subscriber sends love from Sweden ❤️

[@RayRay-zt7bj]

I honestly really despise ASMR but as a supporter of Neil deGrasse Tyson and as an American, I send my love back to you.

[@michaeldonnelly4100]

As an elementary and middle school science teacher I appreciate your delivery of information. Sometimes I share your videos, sometimes I make my own age appropriate edits. At the core though, your lessons are perfect! Thank you Neil and Chuck.

[@anytimefishingandoutdoors6983]

Star talk is easily my favourite youtube drop every time it happens. You guys have great chemistry. Keep us learning fellers.

[@yiannisevangelou6246]

Oh my gosh!! I only discovered this channel a couple of weeks ago and it's like I've opened the door to the cosmos! Also, nice touch to combine science with comedy. I never understood why people are not interested about their surroundings...

[@bethphilipsen5099]

Neil DeGrasse Tyson explains everything so well 💕

[@gweilospur5877]

Speaking as a Science teacher, he needs images and preferably a model to make it clear to more people.

[@queenofthousandmoons2231]

I love Neil and Chuck!!!! I have to listen atleast twice and then go back and research!!! Love science!!! Thank you Star Talk!!!

[@duanehastrich1460]

I bought a Star Talk hoodie! Excited 😁.

[@dfvpinto]

Just love to hear these two talking, they're awsome and we learn so much with Neil. Thank you.

[@blooplip]

Love y’all so much!!! Thank you for always keepin it real real!!!

[@JN003]

...as usual, thanks guys.. i hope u realise how much your videos are appreciated...thoroughly.

[@awcshortvideosonscience1935]

What an incredible presentation. I was "wow"ing for all the entire video. LoveU NDT👍

[@ericjohnson6665]

Thank you for that explanation! I had been noticing that discrepancy for the last year or so. Now it makes perfect sense! 👍

[@christsagkas8385]

Awesome show, congratulations to both of you from a Greek fan.

[@janicepedroli7403]

Happy New Year both of you.

[@thomasgaliana6288]

I love your show. Keep it going!

[@niceman3318]

Explainer videos are my favorite , we love you neil

[@haguen1996]

love their synergy

[@manos6590]

If I was watching the sunset with a woman and she "ruined the mood" by dropping that, I'd be on one knee proposing to her.

[@midhunshirish]

And technically that's not ruining the mood... it's making you happy and shocked.

[@theojam2]

I would not propose at that time but it made make me happy to be around my current wife. I could talk about conceptual things like this with her.

[@Synthwave89]

@@theojam2 lucky guy

[@vedagirishankar59]

Possibly the funniest episode ever, I really enjoy (& learn) heaps every time I listen to your podcast, thanks Neil and Chuck.

[@bjones6747]

Great information 👍🏿

[@KaitKait]

Yesss, more content!

[@TheWeatherbuff]

Well, actually... These episodes are awesome, guys. Keep 'em coming!

[@jeanabsonturel268]

Wonderful work guys

[@JH-eb5bk]

Thank you Chuck and Neil for your show and happy Persian new year (spring equinox)....

[@kellyberry4173]

WELL DONE!!! Thank you!

[@ferbluesy]

Great channel. New suscriber from Spain.

[@whatareyoudoingoverthere1425]

I seriously love Chuck and Neil they are hilarious.

[@nqubekozondo5681]

The lion king music lyrics actually is "Nansi ingwenyama bakithi baba!" which means "here comes the king (lion)". This is from the Zulu language, one of the South African languages with the clicks. That's the explainer for this explainer. And as always keep looking up!

[@rexrocker1268]

I had no idea the sun refracted in the atmosphere that much, I though maybe a few seconds at most, not minutes. It’s also cool how the moon and sun look so much larger close to the horizon, but they aren’t any larger in the sky we just have things to make it appear larger, like trees or a mountain, or just the ground or sea as a point of reference.

[@rafaelsiqueiraamaralsantos1541]

I've heard Brazil? I'm brazilian n' love Neil & Chuck talking about everything on science perspective.

[@sherrylennondewitt7557]

I freaking adore you guys!

[@jeremykraenzlein5975]

Commenting in February (Northern Hemisphere). Things are shutting down for another major snowstorm this evening. I can't wait for the next Equinox!

[@haywardgarner4850]

My favorite story about the equinox egg myth is from last year when I shared it with my first grade students to challenge them to see if science supported the claim, and one young lady did the research to debunk the myth in a video she shared explaining what was really happening.

[@wintersknight9411]

I love the bite-sized clips like this.

[@edpliskin4088]

Great work Dr. Tyson

[@DekuScrubby]

These are one of the only things I look fwd too any more.

[@12lippylucy]

Another great show :)

[@mrs.morris5506]

Lol! Chuck got clowned on that Equinox gym joke. 😝

[@mholtebeck]

Lived my childhood in Singapore, which is on the equator, Sunset at 7pm, and rose at 7am every single day.

[@gweilospur5877]

Lived there too. Clean, law abiding, efficient, boring place!

[@WHYNKO]

I took two photos of sunrise, one on 21st December 2020 and the other today.. I was surprised with the 23.5° difference between both the sunrise...

[@cosmiclaziness]

I've learned more from Neil than I have in school

[@tannertuner]

We are supposed to have the longest daylight hours in June, but living in South Georgia it has always seemed like the daylight keeps getting longer into August before it starts getting dark earlier again

[@robrussell5329]

Your days are in fact, getting shorter after the longest day - June 21st. On Sept 24, in Savanah, GA, daylight is 12h 4m. But that is 2 hours, 10 minutes SHORTER than it was on Jun 21.

[@lucas.hahn2027]

I’ve been reading Neil’s new Cosmic Queries book! Truly amazing!

[@jett3197]

just ordered mine!

[@uzairhaider89]

Loved it👍

[@charlesbradford6738]

Good explanation. To be more detailed, we have "Astronomical Twilight", "Nautical Twilight", and "Civil Twilight". These factor in things such as open seas or mountains.

[@khamel45]

You should do an explainer video on sunset and the different types.

[@theconqueringram5295]

Keep looking up.

[@sherrylennondewitt7557]

Amazing design!

[@GamerbyDesign]

"Weather Winnie" Never thought I would hear that out of Neil

[@aleamontgomery1997]

Happy Ostara! Chuck and Neil are like the uncle and nephew that sit around talking about the cosmos.

[@SaidSaid-nx1ox]

I love startalk😍😍

[@masknhoodie6296]

This episode was a vibe

[@MistahBryan]

As someone who's worked Third Shift for over 20 years, I hated the approaching Summer Solstice, but once it passed... So much better.

[@mattwestergard4160]

A brilliant mind who is able to explain these concepts to my dumb brain. Thank you NDT.

[@luciaprayogo8469]

Correct.. I live in Indonesia.. Sunrise around 6AM and Sunset around 6PM.. That's how we got nice Sunset beaches on some Islands.. ❤ normally Equinox is the hpttest days of the year, not this March though.. Always rainy Prof..

[@_Jude-St.-Francis_]

Ah the legendary duo!

[@Egwuinogs]

Im touched

[@haroldcook5360]

Awesome!!!!

[@corylacamp5762]

Can you do a episode on magnetic propulsion and the concept of efficient space travel?

[@stevenbaumann8692]

Excellent! Can you do one on “no shadow day”?

[@isaackitone]

On the equator we get no shadow at exactly noon on equinox.

[@carultch]

It depends on your latitude on when "no shadow day" is. At the Tropic of Cancer, it is the June solstice that this happens. At the Tropic of Capricorn, it is the December solstice. At the equator, it is the two equinoxes. It happens when the sun passes directly overhead, such that a vertical object will cast no shadow. You will still get a shadow beneath an object, just not a shadow cast to the side of any object. Eratosthenes' well experiment happened on "no shadow day" in Syene (now Aswan Egypt).

[@leftcoaster67]

Careful, you might upset flat earthers.

[@stevenbaumann8692]

@@leftcoaster67 ha! Yep 😂👍🏻

[@stevenbaumann8692]

@@carultch I would just love to see a video on it. As someone who is north of the 45th, it never happens. At least we get the Aurora.

[@jtgullickson6117]

Chuck Nice, you are a rockstar 🔥

[@hamedr.mohamadzadeh4883]

Could you please talk about the ancient persian calendar and its first day of year , which wonderfully synchronized with equinox in the earth Northern hemisphere. The same is true for the start of autumn, winter, and summer. It is really a magnificent calendar.

[@cajunqueen5125]

haha, these two are a great pair. Luv it.

[@molochsorcery4357]

Kudos & blessings to ALL teachers/educators out there, yet can you imagine just how much better you'd understand science with Neil teaching? That is IF you cold even get into his class for the fact everyone would want to be in it.

[@alulimc834]

We are about to observe the winter equinox :)

[@attractedtothemetallikemag9385]

We love you chuck and Neil

[@Fernando-fr5cu]

Happy Naw Ruz everyone!!!!

[@navroze92]

thank you

[@RojanskiTV]

👍🏼

[@mjsltni4938]

🌺🌺🙏🏻🙏🏻

[@kostobip5]

hi guys, im start watching you in this week and i start loving u. Neil make science interesting and Chuck make it funny. Nice combo :)... But i need to tell you that you should watch your previous video because you had already explained it. So Chuck, dont be suprised....u already know it :P

[@manpreetbhattee9732]

MAN! I LOVE CHUCK and obviously Neil too.

[@ooichiewlean548]

Hi, I live at the Equator but at times I encountered not exactly 12 hrs nite 12 hrs day, certain time of the year there's approximately 20-30 mins difference, only like for a few days.😁

[@robrussell5329]

Then you may not be on the exact equator. Literally on the dotted line. Just a guess.

[@bruceneeley1724]

Great explainer. I do have one question... Why is Fahrenheit & Celsius the same at -40?

[@crisstryna_mma1622]

Chuckles back in the house!!!!!!!

[@Yogamannn]

Chuck is daaa bestt

[@daviddavies5322]

Thanks for explaining the exonox. Didn't know. It's huge oil.

[@frogz]

TWO VIDEOS IN ONE DAY???? NEIL, CHUCK, THANK YOU, YOU SPOIL US!!!

[@RayRay-zt7bj]

It was funny when Chuck said he loves the Equinox gym. The first thing I thought of was the album by Styx.

[@findingtoolpurpose6195]

Chichen Itza during the equinox is on my bucket list

[@sandrataylor2323]

Hey Neil, how about selling a Star Talk coffee mug. I'd buy my whole family one. Thanks for considering this.

[@TheFaarf]

There exists one at their patreon.

[@AnomolousGrandeur]

How refreshing

[@jamsistired]

Dr. Tyson, how far could you scale down the universe while still having gravity, and other processes that happen in the universe? Would gravity stop holding atmospheres and rock together at a certain point?

[@zAwstrich]

What do you guys think about entropy and syntropy ?

[@aariapoor]

Also known as Iranian New Year / Norouz 🌷

[@fajevstarlin]

Please talk about water memory.

[@RetNemmoc555]

Sorely needed. Even some of my science-y friends fall for that one.

[@chumbucket1313]

You could do one on the summer solstice on ...I don't know June 20th or so?

[@zaferalabbas]

Nice

[@il_separatio4673]

I may have missed something of this ...but it's possible to se a double sunset....and why we do not focus on Kepler "earth's"?

[@thermospice6617]

Quick question- What would the reaction between a magnatar and a black hole be? What the magnestism effect the black hole? Or would it just be spaggetified like other stars?

[@felicityc]

what about NOTHING ESCAPES do u not understand

[@thermospice6617]

Yes, but a black hole has properties that emit radiation and other core properties. A magnatar, which is a version of a very dense neutron star, can emit star quakes. This quakes are huge magnetic EMP’s. This makes me wonder- how does the EMP effect the black hole, it’s radiation, or its gravitational pull. Keep in mind black holes come from stars, and other stars have been seen to effected by magnatars.

[@craighelliwell5433]

I think I've seen every episode. Is there something like this you can suggest

[@Kongodiantotela]

Wow ! Every time NDT speaks, he blows my mind.

[@verbal2u]

That logo is hilarious. My wife asked if it is someone bent over lol

[@ronaldgarrison8478]

O. F. F. F. S. Now, isn't there a name for an ambiguous figure like that?

[@hello123s]

She is used to bending over.. She must be earning well

[@benjaminmellish]

Bruv I need that Hoodie ASAP!

[@OvershadowENT]

I want that hoodie

[@matayga2000]

Neil, when you explain, can you add some visual assistance of your explanations please? Its easier for me to wrap my head around these concepts because I'm a visual learner. Thanks!!!!

[@carultch]

Do an image search on some of the terms they use. You'll find plenty of visuals that have already been made.

[@matayga2000]

@@carultch that's obvious! I'm asking that they incorporate it in their videos as an assistive tool when they're editing them. Embedded visuals are super helpful to many of us. Thanks for your input.

[@scout5498]

Left right center, i love seeing star talk on my notification bar!

[@georgesos]

That thing with the point on the sun was nice

[@markpina7197]

You are amazing at giving visuals through body language... you should also use chalk board for visual learners

[@markpina7197]

Or a graphic designer !

[@briankissooncastro]

Chuck is a very clever comedian.

[@Jediknight404]

yeah and here in utah, because of the mountains the sun takes about an extra hour to rise, depending on where in the valley you are.

[@general8vergel]

The merch link doesnt work