It’s the first day of spring: Here’s what that really means

By MADDIE BURAKOFF
AP Science Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Spring has sprung: Monday marks the first day of spring in the Northern Hemisphere. But what does that actually mean? The Earth sits on a tilted axis as it travels around the sun. So usually, sunlight falls differently on the northern and southern halves of the planet. During the equinox, though, the Earth isn’t tilted toward or away from the sun. Both hemispheres get equal amounts of sunlight, and day and night are about the same length. For those north of the equator, the spring days will keep stretching longer until the summer solstice in June.