Autumn
Au·tumn [ˈôdəm] Noun. the third season of the year, when crops and fruits are gathered and leaves fall, in the northern hemisphere from September to November and in the southern hemisphere from March to May: The first known use was in the 15th century. Middle English autumpne, borrowed from Anglo-French autompne, borrowed from Latin autumnus (also an adjective, "autumnal"), perhaps a borrowing from Etruscan
The Romans regarded Vertumnus as a god of the changing seasons, by association with the verb vertere "to turn.")
The Harvest Moon may have a red or orange hue. This is because, at this time of the year, the Sun sets almost due west, while the full moon rises near to due east. When the moon is low on the horizon at this time, its light is filtered as it travels through the Earth’s atmosphere and red light is scattered the least, which will give the moon its bold color.
Leaves stop generating chlorophyll, the green pigment that helps catch sunlight to power photosynthesis, in reaction to cooler temperatures and less light in the fall.
The leaf’s other colors, such as orange and yellow carotenoids and bright red anthocyanin, come through as the green fades.
The words fall and autumn can be "used interchangeably" when talking about the time "between summer and winter," although "autumn is considered the more formal name." In addition, the expert wordsmiths explain that while both words originated in Britain, fall—which comes from the phrase "the fall of the leaves"—is used more frequently in American English.
Source credit:
Ng, Kate. “Autumn Equinox 2023: When Is It and What Does It Mean?” Yahoo! News, Yahoo!, 21 Sept. 2023, news.yahoo.com/autumn-equinox-harvest-moon-when-2023-113841040.html
“Definition of AUTUMN.” Www.merriam-Webster.com, 18 Sept. 2023, www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/autumn. Accessed 23 Sept. 2023.
Photo credit: Teresa Watkins
Photo: Teresa Watkins