The March equinox - spring in the northern hemisphere, autumn in the southern - occurs at 16:57 UTC, 12:57 Eastern Daylight Time, as the plane of the Earth's equator passes through the center of the Sun (the Sun crosses the celestial equator). On the day of the equinox, night and day are nearly exactly the same length, 12 hours, all over the world. Equinox is derived from Latin, meaning "equal night." Pagans consider this is the time of the ancient Saxon goddess, Eostre, who stands for new beginnings and fertility. From Eostre also come the names "Easter" and "Esther" the Queen of the Jews.