TODAY marks the official start of autumn – and we want to see your best autumnal pictures.

Whether it’s colourful auburn leaves or frosty fields, we’re looking for the best images that reflect the start of the season.

This year, the autumnal equinox falls on September 22.

Roughly around the same point each year, it marks the date when the sun passes over the earth’s equator – creating a day and night that are the same length.

The equinox – Latin for ‘equal night’ – occurs because of the earth is tilted on its axis, which is what creates the changing seasons.

During summer, the northern hemisphere is tilted towards the sun, creating longer days.

As the earth makes its way around the sun over the course of the year, the earth hits a point where neither the north nor south poles are tilted towards the sun.

After the autumnal equinox, the days will become shorter and the nights will become longer.

The autumnal equinox can occur on September 22, 23 or 24 each year.

There is sometimes confusion when autumn begins. This is because meteorologists – and therefore TV weather presenters – divide the year into four equal parts for statistical reasons. In this model, autumn is said to start on September 1.

The precise moment that the sun will pass the equator today is 3.21pm British Summer Time.

Email your best autumnal pictures to gazette.newsdesk@nqe.com, message us on Facebook via facebook.com/colchester.gazette or tweet us @TheGazette.

Remember to include your name, where you're from and where the picture was taken.