Fall Is Here; Share Your Pics on Suwanee Patch

In case you missed it in all the Suwanee Day hubbub, the fall equinox hit Sunday (Sept. 22). It's officially autumn.

The 2013 autumn season officially began Sunday at 4:44 p.m. EDT.

And just what is the autumnal equinox?

Equinoxes fall on the halfway point between solstices and occur when the sun crosses the equator, according to the Old Farmer's Almanac,  and "day and night are each about 12 hours long .... The Sun crosses the celestial equator going southward; it rises exactly due east and sets exactly due west."

The nearly equal 12 hours of light and darkness can be attributed to Earth's lack of an axial tilt on the day of the equinox. In fact, the word equinox is derived from the Latin words aequus, meaning equal, and nox, meaning night.

In local terms, it means cooler weather, colorful trees, leaves on the ground, festivals, and the oncoming of such festivals as Halloween.

Johns Creek Patch contributed to this report.

So what are your plans for fall -- leaf-watching trips? Roasting marshmallows? Tell us in the comments below, and post your pics on our Town Square board.