The signal of autumn and its arrival comes in the form of color. Leaves begin to change color, like this leaf, seen on a bush in front of the Farmington Public Library on Tuesday, Oct. 24. Turning a bright red, the chlorophyll in this leaf stops production and eventually breaks down, leaving behind anthocyanins, which give the leaf its bright red color. Brian Ponce/Franklin Journal

Orange and yellow leaves, like the ones seen here in Kineowatha Park in Wilton on Tuesday, Oct. 3, get their color from the pigment known as carotenoids, which also gives foods like carrots, corn and bananas their color. Brian Ponce/Franklin Journal

These leaves, seen at Kineowatha Park in Wilton on Tuesday, Oct. 17, are in the process of changing colors. As the nights in autumn grow longer, chlorophyll production slows before stopping all together, leaving behind pigments that give autumn leaves their wide variety of colors. Brian Ponce/Franklin Journal