AUTUMN
Also see Seasons index.asp?pageid=734365
The days get shorter. Darkness falls earlier and lingers later. It could be a period of disapointment after a great summer, Real gloom seeming to settle in the emotions too.
But it is also an amazing period of colours that we don't get at any other time. Yellows and golds and reds. Lower sun backlights the leaves and sparkles across water. It is in fact a magical time.
Evening may bring the ghosts and gouls of Halloween, but with a sense of fun. Guy Fawkes seems to follow on much too quickly and we light the dark sky with a myriad flashes of fiery colours and bangs.
There is quite a lot to consider about autumn. As the Royal Museums of Greenwich tell us :
There are three main different ways of defining autumn: astronomical, meteorological and phenological.
Astronomical : Astronomically, the four seasons centre around the equinoxes and solstices. However, there is disagreement between those who see the equinox or solstice as the start of the season, and those who hold that it represents the middle of the season.
Meteorological : By contrast, meteorologists tend to divide seasons into periods of three whole months based on average monthly temperatures, with summer as the warmest and winter as the coldest. On this basis, for most of the northern hemisphere the autumn months are usually September, October, and November.
Phenological : The third way of defining autumn is to use what are known as phenological indicators. These cover a range of ecological and biological signs, such as the leaves falling off the trees and the migration of birds to warmer climates. These events of course are greatly influenced by weather and climate, and so changing climate could cause autumn to start earlier or later than the standard astronomical or meteorological definitions.
Fishers Wood in early November.
Also see index.asp?pageid=718128
MET OFFICE : https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/learn-about/weather/seasons/autumn/when-does-autumn-start
ROYAL MUSEUMS OF GREENWICH : https://www.rmg.co.uk/stories/topics/what-when-autumnal-equinox
