Technologies

The Autumn Equinox Is on Monday. Here’s What It Is and What to Know About It

The equinox marks the arrival of fall in the Northern Hemisphere on Sept. 22.

Are you ready for fall? The official arrival of fall is the autumnal equinox, which occurs in the Northern Hemisphere on Monday.

After a hot summer, the September equinox marks a welcome shift in the seasons for many folks. But what exactly is an equinox? It’s all about Earth and its relationship with the sun. Here’s how to understand, visualize and celebrate the autumnal equinox.

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When is the fall equinox?

This year, the autumnal equinox in the Northern Hemisphere falls on Monday, Sept. 22. If you want to be extra specific and mark it on your calendar, mark it for 11:19 a.m. PT.

Dates can shift slightly for equinoxes depending on the year, but it’s always around this time in September. The next vernal equinox in the Northern Hemisphere takes place on March 20, 2026, and will mark the start of spring.

What is the autumn equinox?

The meaning of equinox is right there in the name: a combination of the Latin words for equal and night.

«There are only two times of the year when the Earth’s axis is tilted neither toward nor away from the sun, resulting in a ‘nearly’ equal amount of daylight and darkness at all latitudes,» the National Weather Service said in an explainer about the seasons.

The Earth spins on an axis (imagine a line running from pole to pole) and the planet sports a jaunty 23.5-degree tilt. The tilt is what gives us seasons. As the Earth orbits the sun, the tilt means some areas of the planet get more direct sunlight than others. That’s how it can be summer in the Northern Hemisphere (tilted toward the sun) and winter in the Southern Hemisphere (tilted away from the sun) at the same time. During the equinox, the sun shines straight at the equator and gives equal love to the two hemispheres.

Other planets that are also tilted on their axes of rotation also experience equinoxes. The time scales can be very different, however. An equinox on Saturn only comes around about every 15 Earth years. That means each season lasts for over seven years on Saturn. It’s even wilder on Neptune, which has seasons that last decades. We can be grateful for the relatively short seasons on our planet.

What does an equinox look like?

Wherever you are on Earth on the day of the equinox (and whether it’s a spring or fall equinox, depending on which hemisphere you live in), the sun will rise as close to east and set as close to west as possible, making it a foolproof compass. Go outside and watch the sunset and sunrise, and make a note of the landmarks in front of the sun. That way, you’ll always know what exactly is west and east.

The two annual equinoxes also feature the fastest sunrise and sunset of the year, with the sun taking just a few seconds to appear and disappear. That’s because this is the steepest angle at which the sun rises and sets during the year.

How is an equinox different from a solstice?

As with equinoxes, solstices are associated with Earth’s tilt, but instead of daylight and nighttime being even, the days and nights are at their extremes. The winter solstice is the shortest day of the year, while the summer solstice is the longest. This year, the winter solstice for the Northern Hemisphere falls on Sunday, Dec. 21.

What does the equinox look like from space?

Earth-watching satellites up in orbit have a unique view of the equinox. A NASA Earth Observatory video shows Earth from space and how the positioning of the sun’s light shifts with the changing of the seasons. It’s a great way to visualize what’s happening during our planet’s orbit around the sun.

Celebrating the autumn equinox

Equinoxes aren’t like eclipses or meteors. There isn’t a big wow moment when you see something spectacular. The fall equinox this year will look like any other day, but it’s a handy way to mark the changing of the astronomical seasons. You can go around and declare, «It’s officially the first day of autumn!» How you celebrate is up to you. Here’s a suggestion: Put on your favorite sweater, go for a scenic foliage drive, sip a pumpkin spice latte and keep an eye out for those giant Halloween skeletons.

Technologies

Controversy Brews: US Government Targets Banning Top Wi-Fi Router

Federal departments and agencies are joining forces in an effort to ban TP-Link routers due to concerns about national security risks.

TP-Link routers might not be available for much longer in the US, according to a Washington Post report last week. A potential ban is looking increasingly likely, as more than half a dozen federal departments and agencies back the proposal,

The news first broke in December of last year, when The Wall Street Journal reported that investigators at the Departments of Commerce, Defense and Justice had all opened probes into the company due to national security risks stemming from its ties to China. Since then, news on the TP-Link front has been relatively quiet.

Now, the proposal has gained interagency approval.

Read more: I Asked 4 Cybersecurity Experts If They Would Still Use a TP-Link Router

Why are plans to ban TP-Link routers being pushed?

«Commerce officials concluded TP-Link Systems products pose a risk because the US-based company’s products handle sensitive American data and because the officials believe it remains subject to jurisdiction or influence by the Chinese government,» the Washington Post reported.

TP-Link’s ties to the Chinese government are only allegations. The company — technically called TP-Link Systems — has strenuously denied to me in the past that it’s a Chinese company.

«As an independent US company, no foreign country or government, including China, has access to or control over the design and production of our products,» a TP-Link spokesperson told CNET.

The history of the TP-Link routers

TP-Link was founded in Shenzhen, China, in 1996 by two brothers, Jeffrey (Jianjun) Chao and Jiaxing Zhao. In October 2024, two months after members of the House Select Committee called for an investigation into TP-Link routers, the company split into two: TP-Link Technologies and TP-Link Systems.

The latter is headquartered in Irvine, California, and has approximately 500 employees in the US and 11,000 in China, according to the Washington Post report. TP-Link Systems is owned by Chao and his wife.

«TP-Link’s unusual degree of vulnerabilities and required compliance with [Chinese] law are in and of themselves disconcerting,» the lawmakers wrote in October 2024. «When combined with the [Chinese] government’s common use of [home office] routers like TP-Link to perpetrate extensive cyberattacks in the United States, it becomes significantly alarming.»

The company has become a dominant force in the US router market since the pandemic. According to the Journal report, it grew from 20% of total router sales in 2019 to around 65% this year. TP-Link disputed these numbers to CNET, and a separate analysis from the IT platform Lansweeper found that 12% of home routers currently used in the US are made by TP-Link. More than 300 internet providers issue TP-Link routers to their customers, according to the Wall Street Journal report.

Why are TP-Link routers being investigated?

Separately, the Department of Justice’s antitrust division is investigating whether TP-Link engaged in predatory pricing tactics by artificially lowering its prices to muscle out competitors.

CNET has several TP-Link models on our lists of the best Wi-Fi routers and will monitor this story closely to see if we need to reevaluate those choices.

«We do not sell products below cost. Our pricing is not only above cost but contributes a healthy profit to the business,» a TP-Link spokesperson told CNET.

The potential ban has been through an interagency review and is currently in the hands of the Department of Commerce. According to the Washington Post report, sources familiar with the details of the ban said the Trump administration’s ongoing negotiations with China have made the chances of a ban less likely in the near future.

«Any concerns the government may have about TP-Link are fully resolvable by a common-sense mix of measures like onshoring development functions, investing in cybersecurity, and being transparent,» the spokesperson said. «TP-Link will continue to work with the US Department of Commerce to ensure we understand and can respond to any concerns the government has.»

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How worried should you be about your TP-Link router?

I wrote a few months ago that I wasn’t in any rush to replace my own TP-Link router, and that’s essentially how I still feel today.

When the news first broke last December, I asked four cybersecurity experts whether they would still use a TP-Link router. One gave a strong «no.» Another said there is «risk for a consumer.» And two declined to answer the question directly.

Itay Cohen was one of the authors of a 2023 report that identified a firmware implant in TP-Link routers linked to a Chinese state-sponsored hacking group. He told me in a previous interview that similar implants have been found on other router brands manufactured all over the world.

«I don’t think there’s enough public evidence to support avoiding routers from China outright,» Cohen said. «The vulnerabilities and risks associated with routers are largely systemic and apply to a wide range of brands, including those manufactured in the US.»

I heard a version of that from every cybersecurity expert I spoke with. TP-Link has security flaws, but so do all routers, and I couldn’t point to any that showed collaboration with the Chinese government specifically.

«We’ve analyzed an astonishing amount of TP-Link firmware. We find stuff, but we find stuff in everything,» said Thomas Pace, CEO of cybersecurity firm NetRise and former security contractor for the Department of Energy.

That said, it’s entirely possible that the government is aware of vulnerabilities that the public is not.

For now, I’m still comfortable using a TP-Link router knowing I follow some basic best practices for network security, but my risk tolerance may be higher than it is for others.

How to protect your network if you have a TP-Link router

If you’re one of the millions of Americans who uses a TP-Link router, the news of a potential ban might be unnerving.

A Microsoft report from last year found that TP-Link routers have been used in «password spray attacks» since August 2023, which typically occur when the router is using a default password.

Here’s what you can do to protect yourself right now:

Update your login credentials. A shocking amount of router attacks occur because the user never changed the default login credentials set by the router manufacturer. Most routers have an app that lets you update your login credentials, but you can also type your router’s IP address into a URL. These credentials are different from your Wi-Fi name and password, which should also be changed every six months or so. As always with passwords, avoid common words and character combinations, longer passwords are better and don’t reuse passwords from other accounts.

Use a VPN. If you’re worried about prying eyes from the Chinese government or anyone else, the single best thing you can do to ensure your connection remains private is to use a quality VPN. Privacy-minded folks should look for advanced features like obfuscation, Tor over VPN and a double VPN, which uses a second VPN server for an added layer of encryption. You can even install a VPN on your router directly so that all your traffic is encrypted automatically.

Turn on the firewall and Wi-Fi encryption. These are typically on by default, but now is a good time to make sure they’re activated. This will make it harder for hackers to access the data sent between your router and the devices that connect to it. You can also find these settings by logging into your router from its app or website.

Consider buying a new router. I always recommend buying your own router instead of renting one from your internet service provider. This is mostly a cost-saving measure, but if your ISP uses TP-Link equipment, now might be a good time to switch to another brand. The main thing to look for is WPA3 certification — the most up-to-date security protocol for routers.

Update your firmware. TP-Link’s spokesperson told me last year that customers should regularly check for firmware updates to keep their router secure. «To do this, customers with TP-Link Cloud accounts may simply click the ‘Check for Updates’ button in their product’s firmware menu,» the spokesperson said. «All other customers can find the latest firmware on their product’s Downloads page on TP-Link.com.»

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Saturday, Nov. 8

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Nov. 8.

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? It’s the long Saturday one, so you might need assistance. Read on for the answers. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.

Mini across clues and answers

1A clue: Uber alternative
Answer: CAB

4A clue: Red-headed character in the «Scooby-Doo» franchise
Answer: DAPHNE

7A clue: Not arrive on time
Answer: RUNLATE

8A clue: Label on a green U.S.D.A. sticker
Answer: ORGANIC

9A clue: Prestigious engineering school in Pasadena
Answer: CALTECH

10A clue: Prepares to be knighted
Answer: KNEELS

11A clue: Parts of a city grid: Abbr.
Answer: STS

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: Fashion brand with an interlocking «C» logo
Answer: CHANEL

2D clue: Silly behaviors
Answer: ANTICS

3D clue: Tree with smooth gray bark
Answer: BEECH

4D clue: Kevin ___, 15-time N.B.A. All-Star
Answer: DURANT

5D clue: They’re measured in degrees
Answer: ANGLES

6D clue: Division of the earth’s crust
Answer: PLATE

7D clue: Ice, in bartending lingo
Answer: ROCKS

Technologies

Spotify Brings Wrapped Energy Year-Round With Friend-Sharing Stats

The music service introduced new ways for music nerds to share their listening habits with friends.

It can be a long wait for Spotify Wrapped, the end-of-year promotion that allows Spotify users to view and share their listening habits. Now, users can keep an eye on those stats daily, plus share their listening habits with friends.

You can view your Spotify usage statistics every 24 hours and share your updates via social media services, such as Instagram Notes or Spotify Messages. The new share icon gives you access to eight different services where you can post your stats.

Every week, you’ll get updates on your top artists and songs from the past month, and Spotify will recommend new playlists. The app also gives you a «special highlight» based on a specific artist or song.

To access your personal musical data, click on your profile in the top left corner of the app and scroll down to «listening stats.»

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The new features are somewhat similar to Spotify Wrapped, the service’s annual end-of-year review of users’ listening habits, which is designed to be shared. Every year, Spotify adds extra details to Wrapped, such as assigning users a listening personality or a city that supposedly reflects their music tastes. It’s been the most popular way for Spotify users to view and share their music listening in the past. A number of third-party services do the same thing, including Volt.fm.

Read more: Best Music Streaming Services

Spotify is the world’s largest music streaming service, offering 100 million tracks and serving more than 713 million users. In addition to its $12-per-month subscription service, Spotify also offers a free, ad-supported option.