Archives for the 'calendars' Category
2009 had to wait
Published on 1 Jan 2009 at 1:31 pm.
4 Comments.
Filed under calendars, time.
It is now the year 2009, as reckoned by the calendar used throughout most of the world. Last night, at midnight, many people were ringing in the new year according to whatever customs they dealt. Byrd and I rang in the year together with just the two of ourselves (and a cat). […]
Months
Published on 8 Sep 2008 at 6:08 pm.
1 Comment.
Filed under calendars.
Early in the semester, I cover a lot of background topics. Among those topics is time keeping: calendars and such. A lot of people don’t think of the calendar as having any astronomical connections, but it does. The basic unit of the calendar, the day, is clearly related to the rotation […]
May Day
Published on 1 May 2008 at 12:44 pm.
1 Comment.
Filed under calendars.
Today, May 1, is often called May Day. It is a festival day in many parts of the world. For us at the college, it is just another day before the end of the semester where we are all frantic trying to get everything done that needs to be done by the end […]
Easter Moon
Published on 21 Mar 2008 at 6:56 pm.
5 Comments.
Filed under calendars.
Yesterday was the Vernal Equinox, when the Sun was on the celestial equator. It was overhead at noon on the equator. Many countries mark that as the first day of spring. Today is the Full Moon. And, Sunday will be Easter for most of Christianity. A lot of people have […]
Leap Day
Published on 29 Feb 2008 at 11:51 am.
3 Comments.
Filed under calendars.
I’ve written about the calendar a number of times before, including one posting about years, and even a post on why the New Year starts January 1. But, since this is the first leap year since I started Astroprof’s Page, it seemed natural that I blog about Leap Day. However, I looked at […]
Rats
Published on 6 Feb 2008 at 4:20 pm.
No Comments.
Filed under calendars, sky lore.
The Chinese new year is beginning. This year is the Year of the Rat. The Chinese calendar is a lunar calendar. That means that the months and years begin with the New Moon. I wrote about the Chinese calendar last year at the beginning of the Year of the Pig. […]
Happy Thanksgiving!
Published on 21 Nov 2007 at 1:11 pm.
1 Comment.
Filed under calendars.
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving here in the United States. Since 1941, it has been a federal holiday on the fourth Thursday of November. The tradition dates back to before the United States was a country, when a festival of thanksgiving was held at the end of the harvest season.
I just finished my last class […]
