ORLANDO, Fla. — The Vernal or Spring Equinox is Thursday night, March 19, at 11:59 p.m. ET. 

This is when the sun's rays are directly over earth's equator. During this time of the year, we get approximately 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of darkness.

We actually had exactly 12 hours of each over this past weekend.

The season's all have to do with the tilt of the earth with respect to the sun.

During the Spring and Fall Equinoxes, the sun is positioned over the equator. During the Summer and Winter Solstices, the sun is tilted at 23.5 degrees toward or away from the sun depending on the hemisphere.

The sun is tilted at 23.5 degrees toward the northern hemisphere and over the Tropic of Cancer during our summer months. This is when it is at its highest point in the sky.

While it is summer for us in Florida and the rest of the northern hemisphere, the southern hemisphere experiences winter. The reverse is true during our winter months.

The Winter Solstice is when the sun tilts away from the Northern Hemisphere, and it is positioned over the Tropic of Capricorn. This is when the sun is at its lowest point in the sky.