ROANOKE, Va. (WFXR) — Are you a weather fan or a meteorological expert? See if you can correctly guess this WFXR Weather Trivia question!

When does fall/autumn begin in the southern hemisphere?

The seasons are caused by the Earth’s axis being on a 23.5-degree tilt. Due to this tilt, the Earth’s hemispheres receive the Sun’s most direct rays at different times of the year.

For example, the south pole points more toward the sun in December. The tilt allows the southern hemisphere to receive more of the sun’s direct rays during this time of year. This corresponds to their summer season. This is reversed for the northern hemisphere where winter would be starting.

The sun’s direct rays shine equally on the southern and northern hemispheres on the fall and spring equinoxes. The northern hemisphere’s fall equinox falls around September 21 while the spring equinox occurs around March 21. Since the seasons are reversed, the southern hemisphere’s fall equinox happens in March.