Autumn Equinox
Visitors view the autumn foliage of acer trees in the Old Arboretum at Westonbirt in south-west England. The Japanese maples are some of the first species to turn red and orange at this famous tree collection, originally planted out in the nineteenth-century Victorian heydey of plant hunting.Reuters

The autumn equinox arrives on September 22, which means that fall officially begins on Thursday. With the beginning of fall, the sun will sink lower and nights will get longer.

The autumn equinox takes place at 10.21 am ET (2.20 pm UTC) on Thursday, which will officially mark the start of fall in the Northern Hemisphere and spring in the Southern Hemisphere, according to National Geographic.

The word "equinox" is derived from Latin, meaning "equal nights." Equinox is that time of the year when day and night are of around the same length, i.e. 12-hours. There are two equinoxes that take place every year, one in September and another in March. The equinox in September happens when the sun crosses the celestial equator and heads southward.

The shifting of seasons is beautiful and can be inspiring when the leaves begin to change its colour. So, here are 10 quotes about fall, also known as fall foliage season, which will inspire you. The quotes are compiled from Brainy Quote and Goodreads.

"Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower." ― Albert Camus, French philosopher, author and journalist.

"There is a time in the last few days of summer when the ripeness of autumn fills the air." ― Rudolfo Anaya, one of the founders of canon of contemporary Chicano literature.

"Fall has always been my favourite season. The time when everything bursts with its last beauty, as if nature had been saving up all year for the grand finale." ― Lauren DeStefano, author of Wither.

"Autumn is the hardest season. The leaves are all falling, and they're falling like they're falling in love with the ground." ― Andrea Gibson, award-winning poet and activists.

"Autumn seemed to arrive suddenly that year. The morning of the first September was crisp and golden as an apple." ― JK Rowling, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

"I loved autumn, the one season of the year that God seemed to have put there just for the beauty of it." ― Lee Maynard, American novelist, short-story writer and journalist.

"Autumn carries more gold in its pocket than all the other seasons." ― Jim Bishop, American journalist and author of the bestselling book The Day Lincoln was Shot.

"Autumn is as joyful and sweet as an untimely end." ― Rémy de Gourmont, French Symbolist poet, novelist and influential critic.

"Designers want me to dress like Spring, in billowing things. I don't feel like Spring. I feel like a warm red Autumn." ― Marilyn Monroe, Hollywood actress and model.

"Autumn was her happiest season. There was an expectancy about its sounds and shapes: the distant thunk pomp of leather and young bodies on the practice field near her house made her think of bands and cold Coca-Colas, parched peanuts and the sight of people's breath in the air. There was even something to look forward to when school started ― renewals of old feuds and friendships, weeks of learning again what one-half forgot in the long summer. Fall was hot supper time with everything to eat one missed in the morning when too sleepy to enjoy it." ― Harper Lee.