Exact date and time of autumn equinox and when the clocks go back

As the air grows cooler and leaves gradually turn brown, it's evident that summer is finally coming to a close. And with that will come the eagerly awaited autumn equinox, taking place on September 22 at roughly 7.20 pm BST.

This evening event will officially signal the beginning of autumn in the northern hemisphere, with day and night becoming almost equal in length. "The Earth is tilted on its axis," experts at Royal Museums Greenwich explain.

"This means that the Sun illuminates the northern or southern hemisphere more, depending on where the Earth is along its orbit. However, at two points in the year, the Sun will illuminate the northern and southern hemispheres equally. These are known as the equinoxes."

As the observatory suggests, our four seasons mainly result from how Earth moves in relation to the Sun. Equinoxes mark the start of spring and autumn, occurring when the Sun shines equally on both hemispheres.

Meanwhile, solstices occur when Earth's tilt reaches its maximum towards or away from the Sun, marking the start of summer and winter. It is thought that early humans, who were adept at observing nature, recognised these patterns long ago.

They observed these changes when using the Sun to tell time, leading to our current understanding of seasons. According to the Met Office, this year's 'astronomical autumn' will last roughly three months, concluding on Sunday, December 21.

An update issued on August 26 explained: "The autumn equinox signals the point when the northern hemisphere begins to tilt away from the Sun, leading to shorter days and cooler temperatures. From this point, nights become longer than days until the winter solstice."

READ MORE: Lioness Fran Kirby opens up on 'sudden' diagnosis that saw her step back from football

It later added: "The season often brings unsettled weather, especially later on, when Atlantic depressions can lead to stormy conditions and strong gales. These changes are part of the natural shift as the country prepares for winter."

The clocks are also set to go back one hour at 2 am on the last Sunday of October, which is October 26. This will put the UK back on Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), meaning days will feel shorter and nights longer - though you might get an extra hour's sleep.

Specialists at Royal Museums Greenwich further explain: "Daylight saving, or summer time, is a mechanism to make the most of increased summer daylight hours in the northern hemisphere.

"...A campaign at the beginning of the 20th century successfully argued in favour of changing the clocks during the summer months to avoid wasting time in the morning."

Today, proponents argue that adjusting the clocks helps reduce energy consumption, encourages outdoor activities, and even decreases road accidents.

However, critics suggest that darker mornings could pose safety risks or cause 'inconvenience' to certain workers. The experts add: "It’s an ongoing debate that strongly depends on people’s geographical location, occupation and lifestyle."

The UK will remain on GMT until March 29, 2026. At 1 am on this day, the clocks will revert to BST. Computers and phones with an internet connection should automatically register this change.

However, if you'd like to mark it in your calendar, the Government offers a full list of future clock changes on its website.

What do you think? Let us know in the comment section below