Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Happy September Equinox!

The September equinox brings the first day of fall for residents of the Northern Hemisphere. The official start of fall occurs at 5:18 p.m. EDT on Tuesday, September 22. The astronomical start of fall means that Earth is no longer tilting the northern half of the globe toward the sun. Instead, the sun is directly over the equator. It has moved from a more northerly location in the sky and will be heading south for the winter.

The equinox is often referred to as a time when the day and night is equal. This is not precisely the case. Day and night are quite close to being equal, more so than in summer or winter, but it would be more accurate to look at it as if the length of time for night in both hemispheres is equal.

The Night Sky for September 2009

© Kelly Whitt
22 September 2009
A fistful of beers

Keeping this celestial occasion beer-real, here's Bret Stetka from MSN City Guides:
Existing somewhere between the light, refreshing offerings of summer and the richness and heavy spice of winter brews, fall beers provide the perfect seasonal transition. Malts take center stage. Hues get darker, matching the season's withering foliage. And overall flavors get heartier, preparing to hold their own against fall's thick stews, slabs of turkey and decadent wedges of pumpkin pie. Plus they offer a more flavorful alternative to throwing back cans of Budweiser and Coors on football Sundays (not that there's anything wrong with that).

10 Great Fall Beers
http://cityguides.msn.com
Bret Stetka

I might disagree with that final parenthetical clause, but, overall, it's a wonderful synopsis of why craft beer season begins now.

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