Thursday is the first day of spring, or the vernal equinox, in the Northern Hemisphere. During an equinox, the center of the sun is on the same plane as the equator. After the vernal equinox in March, the Northern Hemisphere tilts toward the sun until the June solstice, when the sun begins to migrate back south.

Starting Thursday, the Northern Hemisphere will experience the spring season and the Southern Hemisphere will get into autumn

The spring equinox marks the start of spring in the Northern Hemisphere, bringing longer days, cultural celebrations, and seasonal changes.