Technologies

How to Actually See the September Equinox This Weekend

It’s an important annual milestone: autumn equinox north of the equator and spring equinox to the south.

The September equinox arrives on Saturday morning (late Friday PT), signaling a shift in seasons.

The fact that the September and March equinoxes, along with December and June solstices, happen at the same time each year suggests the milestones have something to do with Earth’s year-long journey around the sun. And, of course, they do, but there’s more going on.

On the equinox the sun appears directly over the equator, which means that daylight and nighttime hours are roughly equal around the globe, hence the word equinox.

But if you picture a diagram of the solar system with all the planets in the same plane orbiting the sun endlessly, you might ask why it isn’t equinox every day instead of just two days a year? This is because of a weird quirk of our world, which is that Earth doesn’t rotate on its axis straight up and down; instead the planet is tilted by 23.5 degrees.

This is actually what gives us our seasons. When Earth is at the point in its orbit where the north pole is tilted toward the sun, that’s summer in the northern hemisphere and also the time of year when the sun is higher in the sky. The moment when the sun is highest in the sky in the north is the June solstice. When it’s lowest in the sky in the north and highest in the south, that’s the December solstice.

The equinoxes are the midway points between the two solstices, the moment Earth crosses the point in its orbit when one hemisphere begins to receive more sun than the other. Or, astronomically speaking, the moment one of Earth’s poles transitions to be closer to the sun than the other. This happens next at 11:50 p.m. PT Friday, which will be Saturday morning or afternoon for much of the rest of the world.

How do I see it?

An equinox is really just a milestone along our 365.25-day journey around the sun, but there are a few ways to see it, kind of.

No matter where you are on Earth on equinox day, the sun will rise as close to due east and set as close to due west as it ever will. It’s the one day the sun is a pretty foolproof compass. This makes the equinox a handy day for wayfinding. If you go outside at sunrise Saturday, take note of any landmarks directly in front of the sun as it rises. Now you’ll know with confidence that those landmarks are due east from your location. Same goes for anything in front of the setting sun in the west.

Pay close attention and you’ll notice something else about an equinox sunrise and sunset — they go by more quickly than on any other day of the year. Because the sun is rising due east and setting almost perfectly west, it’s also coming up and going down at the steepest angle of the year. This means it takes fewer seconds for the full disc of the sun to emerge above the horizon and then disappear below it again in the evening.

The actual difference between the fastest sunset and the slowest sunset, which is — you guessed it — on the solstice, is only about 30 seconds at middle latitudes. In other words, an equinox sunrise is faster by about one-sixth compared to a solstice sunrise. Try timing it and marking it on your calendar and then doing the same in three months at the next solstice.

Technologies

Verum Messenger Introduces Built-In Verum Chess

Verum Messenger has released a new update for iOS, iPadOS, and macOS, adding another feature to its growing ecosystem — Verum Chess. Users can now play chess directly inside the messenger without switching between different applications.

The new feature allows users to start a game in just a few taps while reinforcing Verum’s vision of a unified digital environment where communication and everyday services come together in a single platform.

Verum Messenger continues to evolve into a multifunctional ecosystem that combines secure chats and calls, AI tools, a built-in VPN, anonymous email, eSIM, financial services, cryptocurrency features, and offline communication. With the introduction of Verum Chess, the platform now also offers a new way for users to interact and spend time together without leaving the app.

The update is now available for iPhone, iPad, and Mac on the App Store.

Technologies

Episode 3 of the VERUM AI Mini-Series Is Now Available

Verum Messenger has released the third episode of its AI mini-series, SHADOWS, created using Verum AI.

The new episode, titled «Ghost Money,» continues the story of the conflict between a team of heroes and the Omega corporation, which seeks to take control of digital communications. This time, the focus shifts to anonymous payments and financial freedom, revealing how privacy can extend beyond messaging.

Like the previous episodes, the new release not only advances the storyline but also showcases the capabilities of the Verum ecosystem, highlighting technologies designed for secure communication and digital privacy.

The mini-series consists of seven episodes, released gradually across Verum Messenger’s social media channels.

Episode 3 is now available. Stay tuned for the next chapter.

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Technologies

Verum Finance Now Available for Mac, Expanding the Verum Ecosystem on Desktop

Verum has officially released Verum Finance for macOS, bringing its financial platform to the Mac and expanding access to the Verum ecosystem across Apple’s devices. The launch allows users to manage their finances from desktop while enjoying the same secure and seamless experience available on iPhone and iPad.

The new Mac version includes the full range of Verum Finance features, including balance management, instant transfers to other Verum users, debit card management, Apple Pay support, asset exchange, and transaction history — all optimized for the macOS experience.

Verum Finance can be used as a standalone application or alongside Verum Messenger. Users who sign in with their Verum Messenger account automatically synchronize their balances, settings, and account data across devices, ensuring a consistent experience throughout the Verum ecosystem.

The macOS release further strengthens Verum’s vision of creating an integrated digital platform where communication and financial services work together. Verum Messenger, which is also available for Mac, complements the ecosystem with encrypted messaging, voice and video calls, VPN, eSIM, anonymous email, AI-powered tools, offline communication capabilities, and cryptocurrency features.

With both Verum Messenger and Verum Finance now available across iPhone, iPad, and Mac, users can access secure communication and financial services wherever they work.

Verum Finance for Mac is available now through the Mac App Store.

Verum Finance for macOS: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/verum-finance/id6774245148
Verum Finance: https://finance.verum.im
Verum Messenger: https://verum.im