The March equinox, also known as the vernal or spring equinox, marks the beginning of spring in the Northern Hemisphere. It occurs when the Earth's axis and orbit line up, resulting in equal amounts of sunlight for both hemispheres. The word "equinox" comes from two Latin words meaning "equal" and "night". During an equinox, the sun rises due east and sets due west for most places on Earth, and day and night are nearly equal in length. The Northern Hemisphere's spring equinox can fall between March 19 and 21, depending on the year.