Final answer:
The Sun's noontime rays on September 22, around the time of the autumnal equinox, fall approximately on the Earth's equator because the Sun is on the celestial equator.
Step-by-step explanation:
At noon on September 22, which is around the date of the autumnal equinox, the Sun's noontime rays should be falling approximately on the Earth's equator.
This is because on the autumnal equinox, the Sun is on the celestial equator, which means it is positioned above the Earth's equator and favors neither the Northern nor the Southern Hemisphere.
As a result, every place on Earth experiences about 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of night. During an equinox, the Sun crosses the celestial equator and the day and night have approximately equal length all over the planet.