Did you notice how early it got light this morning? Here’s why

Thursday, 25 September 2025

If it feels more like spring than it did on September 1, it’s because we have now entered the astronomical spring. (File photo)

You might have noticed it’s getting lighter earlier, with the nights getting shorter and the days longer.

MetService meteorologist Mmathapelo Makgabutlane told Stuff the days are getting longer because we have passed the spring equinox, which was this past Tuesday, September 23.

Spring equinox is when the Sun crosses the celestial equator, resulting in nearly equal hours of daylight and darkness.

At the equinox, neither the north pole or the south pole is tilted towards the sun.

It marks the beginning of astronomical spring, which is different from meteorological spring that uses calendar months and began on September 1.

Now, the nights will continue getting shorter as the sun rises earlier, and the days longer as the sun sets later.

This is why the switch in times with daylight saving happens when it does.

“We are knocking on the door of daylight saving,” Makgabutlane said. This Sunday, September 28, the clocks go forward an hour.

Stuff staff in Wellington noted it was brighter, far earlier this morning, on the commute into the office for a 6am start.

Earth is tilted as it orbits the Sun, which is why equinoxes and solstices happen.

We had a week of active weather, with a number of fronts rolling through to make way for the next.

Druids mark the autumn equinox in March, 2007. (File photo)

This was typical spring weather, but Makgabutlane noted it was the first day this week where the skies were “nice and clear” in Wellington, making the earlier sun rise more noticeable.

Fire and Emergency warned that with the clocks changing, it was a good time to check your smoke alarms are working and in the right places.