Remember from grade school that our seasons here on Earth are caused by the tilt of the planet, not our proximity to the sun. The Earth is tilted at 23.5 degrees; this brings sunlight more direct or less direct on the surface, depending on if you are tilted away or towards the sun. The more direct, the warmer we usually are; the less direct, the cooler we are.
Today is the astronomical first day of spring. This is the traditional day when most folks think of the spring season beginning. It is the astronomical start of spring due to our planet's path around the sun. We call today the spring equinox. It is a moment when the sun crosses the Earth's equator, which appears directly above the equator, rather than north or south of the equator. That moment will be 5:24 p.m. in 2023, but the moment does not happen at the same time of day or on March 20 every year. It varies from year to year, but the Spring Equinox often occurs on March 20 most years. Next year, the spring equinox will occur on March 19 at 11:06 p.m.
On the day of the equinox, the sun appears to rise due east and set due west. The equinox brings roughly 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of darkness to the whole planet. I say roughly because of our atmosphere. We see the light before we see the sunrise, and we continue to see the light even after the sun has set. This is due to sunlight being refracted into our atmosphere. Refraction happens when light changes direction or bends when it moves from one material to another. For example, light traveling through the air refracts when it hits the water. This can make a straw in a glass of water look bent at the water's surface.
Today Cleveland will see about eight minutes more daylight than darkness, and we will gain another three hours of daylight before the summer solstice in June.
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