It may only be the first days of autumn, but bright fall color can already be seen in the foliage on the McKenzie Pass Highway on Monday as a vehicle passes underneath.(Dean Guernsey/Bulletin photo)

Monday marked the arrival of the autumnal equinox, one of two days each year when the Earth gets a nearly equal amount of daylight and darkness at all latitudes, according to the National Weather Service. The other is vernal equinox in the spring.

In the Northern Hemisphere, the autumnal equinox marks the first day of fall, bringing cooler temperatures and shorter amounts of daylight.