Summer is officially over, and it’s the first day of fall, Actually, we don’t enter the new season officially 9:04 p.m. eastern, 6:04 p.m. pacific. Here are some fun fall facts to help mark the changing of the seasons.

1. The first day of fall – or the “autumn/autumnal equinox” – is almost always on the 22 or 23 of September. Sometimes it’s the 21 or 24 because of Leap Years, but not often. The last time was in 1931, and it won’t happen again until 2092.

2. “Equinox” means “equal night.” But we don’t really get exactly 12 hours of daytime today, more like 12 hours, 10 minutes. There IS a day when it happens though, called the “equilux“. For most of the U.S., it’s next Monday or Tuesday.

3. The word “fall” comes from an old saying, that is pretty obvious: the “fall of leaves.” A poet in England used it in the 1600s, and it caught on for a minute. Americans kept saying it and shortened it to “fall.” But most British people, and many in the New England states say “autumn.”

4. Fall foliage is about to hit hard in many parts of the country. We see it slightly in the desert, but it’s nothing compared to other Midwestern towns where the trees transform into an ombré of colors. The site SmokyMountains.com posts a map each year that shows when to expect it. Northern states should start to peak in early-to-mid October. A few southern states won’t peak until mid-November.

5. Exactly how many leaves fall every year? It’s impossible to know, but someone tried to estimate it anyway. Two-hundred-billion trees in the U.S. . . . with 200,000 leaves each. So around — wait for it — 40 QUADRILLION leaves! As someone who hates math, and has no reason to doubt this speculative, and brilliantly simple equation, I still feel it’s probably way off.

Some other ways you know fall is here:

Charlie Sheen is snorting pumpkin spice.

There’s a “nip in the air” – and it has nothing to do with a Kardashian selfie.

Nick Cannon announces he’s going to be a father again. Wait, no – that’s just a day.

Leaves are starting to turn the color of George Hamilton (look him up on the google machine, kids).

It’s football time – and you’re a Detroit Lions fan. (Ok, maybe just Carla…)

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6 Tips To Make Your Jack-o'-Lantern Last Longer

Fall is upon us! And that means Halloween is right around the corner. If you’re like me, you wait until at least mid-October to carve your pumpkin, just to make sure it lasts through October 31st. But there are ways you can ensure your Jack-O-Lantern lasts longer, and we’ve put together a list. But first, some pumpkin-spiced history.

Did you know that pumpkins are almost 10,000 years old? And we thought tortoises hung around a while! According to the University of California, scientists have found pumpkin seeds in Mexico that date back as far as 7000 B.C. The word “pumpkin” originates from the Greek word “peopon” which means “large melon”. 1.5 billion pounds of pumpkins are produced every year in the United States, 80% of which is harvested just for the month of October. There are more varieties of pumpkin than you might think. 45, to be exact. And although orange is the most common color, you can also find them in green, yellow and red. And because pumpkins are winter squashes, they are technically a fruit, like cucumbers. They are highly nutritious and an excellent source of potassium, Vitamin A and beta-carotene. And here’s something you may not have known. The entire pumpkin is edible. Even the stem and leaves.

But my favorite piece of pumpkin trivia is how the Jack-O-Lantern came to be. Immigrants brought the tradition over from Ireland. There, they carved potatoes and turnips, but switched to pumpkins in America because they were easier to carve. The Jack-O-Lantern name came from an unruly chap called Stingy Jack, who was a thing of legend in Ireland, famous for playing tricks on people.

So now that you’ve been pumpkinformed (yep, that happened), how do you keep your pumpkin fresher longer for the fall season? Here’s a list of things that can help extend the life of your winter squash masterpiece. So you can get to carving sooner!

–Wendy Rush, 96.3KKLZ Las Vegas

1. Pick The Right Pumpkin

The first step is making sure you have a good pumpkin. There are carving pumpkins and there are pie pumpkins. You want to find one that is large and doesn’t have a lot of flesh on the inside. So tap on the pumpkin and make sure it sounds hollow. Also, check for soft or dark spots. Especially on the bottom. Buying a pumpkin from a patch versus a grocery store might better ensure a good squash.
2. Protect The Exterior From Rotting

While pumpkins typically start to rot after a week (so carve accordingly), there are a few tricks to slow the rotting process down. Including covering the outside of the pumpkin with lemon juice. Or after carving, cover the cut parts with vegetable oil or vaseline to block moisture. Spraying it with bleach solution can also help keep fungus away.
3. Watch Out For Extreme Temperatures

Freezing temperatures will rot your pumpkin faster when it thaws. On the flip side, extreme heat will also destroy the pumpkin faster. So take your Jack-O-Lantern inside when the temperature gets too hot or too cold.
4. Don't Use Real Candles

For the same reason, candles should be avoided inside the Jack-O-Lantern. The heat emitted cooks the inside of the pumpkin and leads to faster rotting. So opt for a glow stick or battery-operated candle instead.
5. Scrape The Inside Well

Less flesh on the inside means less attraction for fungus and pests. So make sure you scrape the dickens out of the inside of that bad boy.
6. Don't Leave The Pumpkin On The Ground

It’s a lot easier for pests to get into your Jack-O-Lantern if it’s sitting on the ground, so put it on a table or bale of hay to prolong the decaying process.
7. Protect From Fruit Flies

Fruit Flies love them some carved pumpkin. So put a fruit fly trap (or two) near your Jack-O-Lantern to ensure those little buggers head elsewhere.