Calendarian

The weekday that is a year's doomsday is whatever weekday it is on the day before March begins (February 28 most years, February 29 leap years). In other words, the last day of February is always a doomsday.

Since 2025 is not a leap year and today is February 28, this means today's weekday Friday is this year's doomsday.

well, keep counting: March 1500th corresponds to April 8, 2024

coincidentally the same day as a total eclipse was visible in many places in North America

remember December 21, 2012, date of the southern solstice?

that was 13.0.0.0.0 in the Mesoamerican Long Count Calendar

(the date before, in the Mesoamerican Long Count Calendar, 12.19.19.17.19, would be December 20, 2012, in the Gregorian Calendar)

and then afterwards it got made into this weirdness, like, "the Mayans didn't get us" as if that was somehow actually ever a thing

and

well

the Modified Julian Day (MJD) is the Julian Day minus 2400000.5 days (MJD 1 therefore being 1858-11-18)

meaning 2024-04-20 in the Gregorian Calendar is

MJD 60420

it just worked out like that!

went outside and looked at the MOON

it is BIG

if you can:

go outside and look at the moon!

The next equinox is coming up in just under seven hours at the time of this posting, at 2023-09-23 06:50 UTC

(See when the impending southward equinox will be in YOUR timezone!)

Many folks have the impression that the equinox is "when day or night are equal" but actually, an equinox is a moment in time! It's when the sun is directly above the Earth's equator, and happens twice a year.

Above image of the moment of equinox from wikipedia.

The day that day and night are equal is known as the equilux and happens in different places on different days (depending on latitude).

And, if you are close enough to the equator, you NEVER get a day less than 12 hours and a day is ALWAYS at least a few minutes longer than night! This is because of atmospheric refraction.

Speaking of atmospheric refraction, this also causes the sun to be above the horizon at BOTH the north and south poles for a short time before and after an equinox!

According to what I've been able to determine (with this sunrise and sunset calculator) at the south pole, the sun rose September 21 at 03:39 UTC, and the sun will set at the north pole on September 25 09:58 UTC!