What are precession of the equinoxes?

The precession of the equinoxes is like how Earth’s spin slowly wobbles over time, changing where it points in space.

Imagine you're spinning on a chair with your arms outstretched, that's kind of what Earth does. But instead of going in a perfect circle, Earth takes about 26,000 years to make one full wobble. This slow dance is called the precession.

When you spin on a chair and slowly turn your body, your arms move around you, that’s like how Earth moves in space. Over thousands of years, this wobble shifts where Earth points toward the stars.

The equinoxes are times when day and night are equal, spring and fall. But because Earth is wobbling, these special days slowly shift over time, like moving a clock hand very, very slowly.

Think of a playground swing. When you start swinging, you go back and forth in one line. But if you twist your body as you swing, the whole motion changes, it’s like Earth’s wobble!

So, just like how a swing moves differently when you twist, Earth’s slow wobble shifts the equinoxes, changing our view of the stars over thousands of years.