Which of the following is true of the March equinox?

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BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

Question restatement: Which of the following is true of the March equinox?

Option 1: The subsolar point is at the Tropic of Cancer (23.5° N).
- This is incorrect for the March equinox. The subsolar point moves between the Tropics over the year and at the equinox it is located near the equator, not up at 23.5° N. The Tropic of Cancer location corresponds to the solstice, not the equinox.

Option 2: The sun rises at the South Pole, where it will remain over the horizon for the following six months.
- This statement reflects the special case of polar regions. At the poles, the Sun indeed experiences extended periods of daylight or darkness. Around the time of the equinox, the Sun is at the horizon, and regions near the poles begin or continue long stretches of daylight or darkness. The claim as written says the Sun rises at the South Pole and remains over the horizon for six months, which captures the general polar-day condition, though the exact timing relative to the equinox can be nuanced. Within the context of this option, it asserts a polar-day scenario linked to the equinox.

Option 3: All latitudes on Earth, except the Equator, experience unequal daylengths.
- This is not accurate for the March equinox. One of the defining features of an equinox is that day and night are approximately equal in length across many latitudes; while near the poles there can be extended daylight or darkness, many mid-latitudes experience nearly equal day lengths on an equinox. The blanket statement that all latitudes except the Equator have unequal daylengths misrepresents the general equal-length condition of the equinox.

Option 4: The Northern Hemisphere Autumn officially begins.
- This is incorrect. The March equinox marks the start of spring (vernal equinox) in the Northern Hemisphere and autumn in the Southern Hemisphere, not the start of autumn in the Northern Hemisphere.

Now, evaluating the correctness: the March equinox is defined by the Sun crossing the celestial equator, resulting in nearly equal day and night lengths at many latitudes and marking seasonal transitions. The polar-day and polar-night effects are real but depend on latitude, and the equinox itself does not universally declare a six-month daylight period at the South Pole for the entire year; instead, the poles experience extreme day/night periods with transitions closely tied to the solstices. The Tropic of Cancer location describes a solstice-typical position, not the equinox. The equinox also does not imply universal unequal daylengths across all latitudes, as many latitudes experience near-equal day lengths.

Which of the following is true of the March equinox?

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