Autumn Countdown 2027

What is the Autumn Countdown?

The Autumn Countdown tells you exactly how much time there is until autumn begins in the Northern Hemisphere. You can use it as often as you like, and it updates continuously. There is nothing to click and no menu to go through: as soon as the page loads, you see how many days, hours, minutes, and seconds there are until the autumn season begins.

When does autumn begin?

In the Northern Hemisphere, autumn, also called fall, starts on the autumnal equinox. This is the moment when the sun crosses the equator, and day and night are almost the same length. It is the same event as the vernal equinox, except that the autumnal equinox is in September, not March. Depending on the year and your time zone, it falls on September 22 or September 23. The equinox is a single moment, so this countdown runs to that exact minute, shown under the countdown in your local time.

How long does autumn last?

Autumn in the Northern Hemisphere lasts about 89 days and 21 hours, from the September equinox to the December solstice. The four seasons are not the same length, because Earth's orbit is not a perfect circle. Earth moves fastest in early January, when it is closest to the sun, so autumn and winter, which include the fast part of the orbit, are the two shortest seasons.

Common Autumn Countdown questions

When does this countdown end?

At the exact moment of the September equinox, from the times published by the US Naval Observatory. The date and time under the countdown show that moment in your own time zone.

Is this countdown for the Southern Hemisphere too?

No. South of the equator the seasons are reversed, so the September equinox is the first day of spring there, and autumn begins at the March equinox.

Why does autumn not start on September 1 here?

September 1 is the start of meteorological autumn, which weather services use because it splits the year into whole months. This countdown uses the astronomical start of autumn, the equinox.

Does the countdown keep running if I switch tabs?

Yes. The page reads the current time on each tick, and an inactive tab catches up the moment you return.