2010 Sky Calendar
2011 Sky Calendar
2012 Sky Calendar
Seasons and the Sun
Earth at Perihelion (closest to the Sun – distance =91,422,023 miles or 147,098,036 km)
Monday, March 19
Vernal Equinox at 8:14pm HST – This is the official beginning of the season of Spring. On equinox days the Sun rises directly East and sets directly West. There is twelve hours of daylight and twelve hours of night – hence it’s meaning, equal night. From here forward to the Summer Solstice the length of daylight hours increase, and nights get shorter.
Thursday, May 17
Lahaina Noon at 12:17pm HST – This is when the Sun is directly overhead in Hilo. It is the first of two Lahaina noon days that take place each year.
Wednesday, June 20
Summer Solstice at 1:09pm HST – First day and official beginning of Summer (Northern Hemisphere). This day has the northernmost sunrise and sunset, highest noon position of the Sun. On this day we have the longest amount of daylight and shortest amount of night.
Wednesday, July 4
Earth at Aphelion (farthest from the Sun – distance =94,528,559 miles or 152,096,452 km)
Tuesday, July 24
Lahaina Noon at 12:27pm HST – This is when the Sun is directly overhead in Hilo. It is the second of two Lahaina noon days that take place each year.
Saturday, September 22
Autumnal Equinox at 4:49am HST – The season of Fall officially begins. On equinox days the Sun rises directly East and sets directly West. There is twelve hours of daylight and twelve hours of night – hence it’s meaning, equal night. From here forward to the Winter Solstice daylight hours decrease, and nights get longer.
Friday, December 21
Winter Solstice at 1:12am HST – Winter officially begins. This day has the southernmost sunrise and sunset, lowest noon position of the Sun. On this day we have the longest night, and shortest amount of daylight.
HST = Hawaiian Standard Time (GMT – 10h or 10hours behind Greenwich Mean Time)
Note: Hawaii does NOT observe Daylight Savings Time
Phases of the Moon – 2012
| New Moon | First Quarter | Full Moon | Last Quarter | |
| January 8 | January 15 | |||
| January 22 | January 30 | February 7 | February 14 | |
| February 21 | February 29 | March 7 | March 14 | |
| March 22 | March 30 | April 6 | April 13 | |
| April 20 | April 28 | May 5 | May12 | |
| May 20 | May 28 | June 4 | June 11 | |
| June 19 | June 26 | July 3 | July 10 | |
| July 18 | July 25 | August 1 | August 9 | |
| August 17 | August 24 | August 31 | September 8 | |
| September 15 | September 22 | September 29 | October 7 | |
| October 15 | October 21 | October 28 | November 6 | |
| November 13 | November 20 | November 28 | December 6 | |
| December 12 | December 20 | December 28 |
Eclipses in 2012
Eclipses in 2012
Total Solar Eclipse occurs when the New Moon passes precisely between the Sun and the Earth, blocking the Sun from our view along a narrow path. This year there is a total solar eclipse on November 13-14. In Hawaii we will not see the eclipse. To see totality one will have to travel as it will be visible from northern Australia and the southern Pacific Ocean. The most populous city to experience totality will be Cairns which will experience 2 minutes of totality just an hour after daybreak (6:38 am AEST). New Zealand will experience a partial eclipse with greater portion of the Sun covered in the northern part of the country.
When seen from west of the International Date Line the eclipse will take place on the morning of November 14. Greatest eclipse, of duration 4 min 2 sec, will occur east of the International Date Line on November 13, approximately 2000 km east of New Zealand, and 9600 km west of Chile.
Total Lunar Eclipse – none takes place in 2012. Next one is April 15, 2014!
Major Meteor Showers in 2012
| Name | Peak Date | Zenith Hourly Rate* |
| Quadrantids | January 3 | 120 |
| Lyrids | April 22 | 15 |
| Eta Aquariids | May 6 | 25 |
| Perseids | August 12 | 65 |
| Orionids | October 21 | 30 |
| Leonids | November 17 | 20 |
| Geminids | December 14 | 40 |
| Ursnids | December 22 | 10 |
Meteor showers occur when the Earth passes through the debris left over by comet tails or other objects that orbit the Sun. Meteors appear as flashes of light and are sometimes called "shooting or falling stars" even though they really are not stars at all. Viewing meteors is best with the unaided eye on a moonless night at a dark location.
*The Zenith Hourly Rate is the maximum rate per hour at the peak of the shower. While the meteor showers peak on specific dates, meteors are often visible for a few days prior to and after the peak date.
Planet Viewing for 2012
Mercury is a challenging planet to see as it never is far from the Sun. Look for it at sunset the last week in February and the first week in July. For morning glimpses of the planet try the second week of April, the last week of November and the first week of December.
Venus starts the year high in the evening sky and setting three hours after the Sun in early January. It remains a nice evening object until mid-May. It will disappear into the glow of sunrise in June, and then reappear very low in the morning sky in July. It will get higher in the morning sky throughout the rest of the year, rising close to three hours prior to the Sun by mid-December.
Mars starts the year rising in the east around 9pm. It will visible in the evening sky throughout the entire year. It reaches oppositions on March 3 – being visible from sunset to sunrise that day. Watch as it moves from the Eastern sky at sunset early in the year to the western sky at sunset by years end.
Jupiter starts 2012 in the southwestern sky at sunset. Its four Galilean Moons are always easily visible in binoculars. It will sink lower each day and by late April Jupiter is lost in the glare of sunset. It will re-emerge in the morning sky around the beginning of June. It will reach opposition on December 3rd – finishing the year by being visible throughout the entire night.
Saturn starts the year as a morning object rising about 11pm in the east. It will be well positioned for observing high in the early morning sky during the early part of 2011. It is in opposition on April 15th being visible from sunset to sunrise this evening. By September, it will be low in the southwest as they sky gets dark. It will disappear into the glow of sunset in October and re-emerge in the morning sky in mid November. By early December, Saturn is rising three hours before sunrise.
.
The Days of the Week
The origins of our days of the week come from the five planets visible to the unaided eye together with the Sun and the Moon. Monday or Moon Day, Sunday or Sun Day, Saturday or Saturn Day are very apparent and are Old English adaptations of the Roman names. Tuesday was named in honor of Mars (Tiw’s Day was an Old English adaptation of the Norse god of war). Wednesday was in honor of Mercury (Woden’s Day from the Germanic god of wisdom). Thursday was in honor of Jupiter (Thor’s Day to the Norse god of thunder associated with Jupiter). Friday was in Honor of Venus (Frige’s Day from Germanic god of beauty and love associated with Venus).