About pbdavis

Paul Davis is a former resident of the Threefold Community. He has been a teacher of Celestial Navigation, a Planetarium lecturer, and offered evening Astronomy classes at Sunbridge some years ago. He is now living in New Hampshire.

Star Calendar – June 2017

Star Calendar June 2017 Star Planets: Moon appears at First Quarter as the month opens, stands over Jupiter on the 3rd, and is then Full with Saturn on the 9th. Early risers will be treated to a complementary pairing with Venus on the 20th and 21st, the complement being of… Continue reading

Star Calendar – May 2017

Star Calendar May 2017 Start Calendar Planets: Moon and Sun each elongate the fluid earth and exert tidal stress on the viscous and solid earth. This stress and shape distortion moves around the longitudinal earth in the two periods 12.42 and 12 hours respectively but also change latitude (declination) according… Continue reading

Star Calendar – April 2017

Star Calendar April 2017 Star C alendar Planets: Moon and Sun balance on either side of the solstice point on the 7th. They rise and set at the same point on the horizon on that day and make the same path across the sky. One might observe the pair at… Continue reading

Star Calendar – March 2017

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… Continue reading

Star Calendar – February 2017

Star Calendar February 2017 Star Calendar Planets: Moon crosses the ecliptic (Moon node) when near syzygy with the Sun twice this month. Neither eclipse will be noticeable to us though. The Full Moon will rise in the penumbra of Earth’s shadow, will only be slightly less bright – but no… Continue reading

Star Calendar – January 2017

Star Calendar January 2017 Star Calendar Planets: Moon waxes from the westward side and wanes on the eastward but Venus (and Mercury) do so in the opposite way. Mercury is stationary to the stars on the 8th but the Sun’s persistent eastwards motion continues to widen their separation (elongation) until… Continue reading

Star Calendar – December 2016

Star Calendar December 2016 Star Calendar Planets: Moon begins the month by visiting some planets in heliocentric order, then occults Aldebaran again before making its long-night excursion just after perigee. Solstice evening and Christmas eve will be absent the Moon – hence very dark. Then the last two Classical (visible… Continue reading

Star Calendar – November 2016

Star Calendar November 2016 Star Calendar Planets: Moon draws exceptionally near this month (nearest in 30 years) while also Full as it sets on the morning of the 14th. Mercury peaks into the evening sky as Saturn departs. Around the 23rd will be the first chance to see Mercury –… Continue reading

Star Calendar – October 2016

Star Calendar October 2016 Star Calendar Planets: Moon is New on the 1st for those in “Greenwich” and zones east – but it is still Sept 30th here. Those who do not mind being up after midnight will have a chance to see an occultation of Aldebaran on the night… Continue reading

Star Calendar – September 2016

Star Calendar September 2016 Star Calendar Planets: Moon is New fairly near the Sun’s passing through the middle of eclipse season (near a moon node) but is also near apogee so that it is too distant for its shadow tip to reach earth, making an annular eclipse. Full Moon occurs… Continue reading