Countdown

Time until the first day of autumn

The September equinox, taken here as 22 September.

Approximate date

Counting down to the first day of autumn

Tuesday, 22 September 2026

Days

Hours

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Seconds

Midnight at the start of Tuesday, 22 September 2026

Counting from your device clock.

What is the first day of autumn?

Astronomical autumn in the northern hemisphere begins at the September equinox, when the sun crosses back over the celestial equator heading south. The instant usually falls on 22 or 23 September, so this countdown uses 22 September as an approximation. Meteorological autumn starts on 1 September. The equinox is also when daylight starts shortening fastest at mid latitudes, which is why the change feels abrupt even though the date moves by barely a day between years.

The next one falls on Tuesday, 22 September 2026, and this page counts down to the midnight that starts it in whatever time zone your browser reports. For a date of your own, the deadline countdown takes any target and tracks progress against it.

Frequently asked questions

How is this countdown calculated?

The target is midnight at the start of Tuesday, 22 September 2026, read in your device's own time zone rather than in a fixed one. Two people opening this page in London and Tokyo see different amounts of time left, because their local midnights are nine hours apart. Nothing is sent anywhere: the clock in your browser does the arithmetic.

What happens once the date has passed?

The page rolls to the next occurrence on its own. Every date here is worked out from a rule rather than looked up in a table, so once the first day of autumn is behind you the countdown restarts against the following one without anybody updating the site. If you leave the tab open overnight, it rolls over while you watch.

Why does it read zero on the day itself?

The countdown aims at the beginning of the day rather than at any particular hour of it, so it hits zero at midnight and stays there until the day is over. That is the answer most people want from a question like "how many days until the first day of autumn", where the honest reply on the day is none.

More countdowns

Time until ChristmasThe 25th of December, the countdown most people are actually running.Time until New Year's Day1 January, the reset everyone measures the year from.Time until Halloween31 October, the night before All Saints' Day.Time until ThanksgivingThe fourth Thursday in November, so the date moves every year.Time until FridayThe next Friday, counted from midnight at the start of the day.Time until the first day of summerThe June solstice, taken here as 20 June.

See every countdown