Star Calendar
March 2017
Star Calendar Planets:
Moon cycles determine, or play a role in, some calendars such as the Islamic and Hebrew. The Islamic year is strictly lunar while the Hebrew is a hybrid luni-solar that inserts extra months so that the seasons don’t drift too far. The Hebrew year begins with Nissan. It commemorates the emancipation of the Jewish people from bondage in Egypt (Exodus) and Passover (whilst Rosh Hashanah commemorates the birth of the World). The Crucifixion is recorded in relationship to Passover and Easter is placed in such a way as to respect this correspondence. This year Nissan begins at sundown on the 27th of March, 15 Nissan (beginning of Passover) on the evening of April 11, and Easter on April 12. This year both Western and Eastern traditions correspond to the same day.
Mercury crosses the far side of the Sun and then appears already on the 18th next to Venus in evening.
Venus is now nearer to Earth than to the Sun as she streaks from evening to morning. On the 25th Venus is more than twice as far from the Sun than from the Earth – the ratio being just about 5:2. Venus begins the month stationary to the stars, then rapidly departs and crosses the nearside of the Sun by the 25th. She will be seen in the pre-dawn east already in early April.
Sun is rapidly increasing its presence in the sky by adding almost 3 minutes of daylight to each day. Of course, as we gain an abundance of daylight – the Govt. must naturally order us to start “saving” it.
Mars is seen to the right of the crescent Moon on the evenings of the 1st and again on the 30th.
Jupiter begins March near Spica and we can watch him move, retrograde, back away from Spica as the month proceeds. The pair rises about two hours after sunset and is joined by the Moon on the 14th.
Saturn slows his slow shuffle – that is so slow that he lingers in each seasonal quarter of the sky for over 7 years.
Star Calendar Days:
1 Sunrise/set in Spring Valley at 6:30/17:47 (11h17m daylight)
Day number 60; about 1/6 of the year has passed
Moon to left of Mars at dusk in west
Moon and Venus in same crescent phase (use binoculars) as they set
2 Venus stationary to stars, prepares for dash across near side of Sun (25th)
4 Moon approaches to very near Aldebaran, dusk to midnight
6 Mercury crosses the far side of the Sun; superior conjunction
10 Moon moves away from Regulus this evening
11-12 Absent an Executive Order from the President, American clocks shift forward
Full Crow, Worm, or Sap Moon at 10:54AM Daylight Shifted Time
14 Day 73 number; about 1/5 of the year has passed – and it’s Pi-day too
Moon, Jupiter and Spica appear together at 10:PM ESE
16-17 Etymological equinox = equal night; Sun is down 12 hours and zero minutes
18- Mercury appears to left of Venus in gloaming – perfect Western view at 8:PM
20 Astronomical equinox at 6:29 – Sun’s center crosses celestial equator
Sunrise/set in Spring Valley at 6:59/19:09 (12h10m daylight)
Moon above Saturn around 6:AM, they culminate at sunrise
25 Venus streaks across near side of Sun; inferior conjunction
27-28 New Moon begins Hebrew month of Nisan – that places Passover and Easter
31 Sunrise/set in Spring Valley at 6:41/19:20 (12h39m daylight)
Day number 90; nearly ¼ of the year has passed
Enjoying the additional 1 hour and 22 minutes of daylight?
