A magical season full of golden leaves and crisp, fresh air indicates that autumn has finally arrived in Barcelona and throughout Spain. Every year, the change of season is eagerly awaited, marking the beginning of a new phase in nature.
The equinox is the moment when the Earth is at a specific position in its orbit around the Sun. At this instant, the two poles of the Earth are at the same distance from the sun, which causes the length of day and night to be approximately equal.
This phenomenon marks the beginning of spring in the southern hemisphere and autumn in the northern hemisphere. It is a crucial time in the annual cycle of the seasons and has special significance for many cultures around the world.
In 2023, experts from the National Astronomical Observatory, part of the National Geographic Institute, announced the precise date and time when autumn officially entered Spain.
According to their estimates, autumn began in the northern hemisphere last Saturday, September 23, at 08:50 hours. From that moment on, the days began to gradually shorten and temperatures began to drop, marking the beginning of this beautiful season.
The duration of autumn in Barcelona in 2023
After its arrival on September 23, autumn will extend for 89 days and 21 hours until December 22, 2023. At that time, a new season, winter, will be welcomed.
During these autumn weeks, Barcelona and all of Spain will experience a gradual transition from bright green landscapes to warm shades of orange, red and yellow, as the leaves on the trees slowly fall and change color.
In addition to the beautiful transformations in the landscape and the time change, the autumn of 2023 will offer some interesting atmospheric phenomena. During this season, there will be two eclipses, one solar and one lunar, which can be observed from Spain.
The first eclipse, a solar eclipse, will occur on October 14, while the second, a lunar eclipse, will take place on October 28. These astronomical events will provide unique opportunities to observe the night sky.
Time change in autumn
One of the aspects to highlight in autumn is the time change, a practice that still persists despite debates about its relevance today.
The next winter time change is scheduled for Sunday, October 29, 2023, the last Sunday of that month. On this occasion, the clocks should be set back, which means that at 3:00 a.m., the time should be set to 2:00. This will provide an extra hour of sleep and remind you that winter is coming.
