The Old Farmer's Almanac 2011 [2011 ed.] 1571985174, 9781571985170

Citation preview

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THE ORIGINAL ROBERT B. THOMAS F A R M E R ’ S A L M A N A C,

FOUNDED IN

W'ALSO FEATURING ASTRONOMICAL TABLES, TIDES, HOLIDAYS, ECLIPSES, ETC.

1792

“USEFUL,

WEATHER FORECASTS For 16 Regions of the United States

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Recommended for college credits by the Connecticut Board for State Academic Awards and approved by the Connecticut Commissioner of Higher Education. Ml

THE 2011 EDITION OF

The Old Farmer’s Almanac Established in 1792 and published every year thereafter Robert

B.

Thomas (1766-1846),

Founder

Yankee Publishing Inc.

EDITORIAL AND PUBLISHING OFFICES P.0. Box 520, 1121 Main Street, Dublin, NH 03444 Phone: 603-563-8111 • Fax: 603-563-8252 editor (13th since 1792): Janice Stillman

OUR CONTRIBUTORS Bob Berman, our astronomy editor, is the direc¬ tor of Overlook Observatory in Woodstock and Storm King Observatory in Cornwall, both in New York. In 1976, he founded the Catskill As¬ tronomical Society. Bob has led many aurora and eclipse expeditions, venturing as far as the Arctic and Antarctic.

ART DIRECTOR: Margo Letoumeau COPY EDITOR: Jack Burnett

Tim Clark, a high school English teacher in New

SENIOR RESEARCH EDITOR: Mare-Anne Jarvela

Hampshire, has composed the weather doggerel on the Calendar pages since 1980.

SENIOR EDITOR: Heidi Stonehill ASSOCIATE EDITOR: Sarah Perreault ASSISTANT EDITOR: Amy Nieskens

Bethany E. Cobb, our astronomer, earned a Ph.D.

INTERN: Sara Shultz

in astronomy at Yale University and was awarded a National Science Foundation postdoctoral fel¬ lowship. She is currently conducting independent research and teaching at George Washington Uni¬ versity in Washington, D.C. She has been involved in numerous astronomy programs, including Alien Earths at New Haven’s Peabody Museum. When she is not scanning the sky, she enjoys playing the violin and reading science fiction.

WEATHER GRAPHICS AND CONSULTATION:

AccuWeather, Inc. V.P., NEW MEDIA AND PRODUCTION:

Paul Belliveau PRODUCTION DIRECTORS:

Susan Gross, David Ziamowski SENIOR PRODUCTION ARTISTS:

Lucille Rines, Rachel Kipka WEB SITE: ALMANAC.COM WEB EDITOR: Catherine Boeckmann WEB DESIGNER: Lou S. Eastman ONLINE MARKETING MANAGER: David Weisberg PROGRAMMING: Reinvented, Inc.

CONTACT US We welcome your questions and comments about articles in and topics for this Almanac. Mail all editorial corre¬ spondence to Editor, The Old Farmer’s Almanac, P.O. Box 520, Dublin, NH 03444-0520; fax us at 603-563-8252; or contact us through Almanac.com/Feedback. The Old Farmer’s Almanac can not accept responsibility for unso¬ licited manuscripts and will not acknowledge any hard-copy queries or manuscripts that do not include a stamped and addressed return envelope.

Castle Freeman Jr., who lives in southern Ver¬ mont, has been writing the Almanac’s Farmer’s Calendar essays since 1982. The essays come out of his longtime interest in wildlife and the outdoors, gardening, history, and the life of rural New England. His latest book is All That I Have: A Novel (Steerforth Press, 2009).

Celeste Longacre, our astrologer, often refers to astrology as “a study of timing, and tim¬ ing is everything.” A New Hampshire native, she has been a practicing astrologer for more than 25 years. Her book, Love Signs (Sweet Fern Publica¬ tions, 1999), is available on her Web site, www .yourlovesigns.com.

All printing inks used in this edition of The Old Farmer’s

Michael Steinberg, our meteorologist, has been

Almanac are soy-based. This product is recyclable. Consult

forecasting weather for the Almanac since 1996. In addition to college degrees in atmospheric science and meteorology, he brings a lifetime of experience to the task; He began predicting weather when he attended the only high school in the world with weather Teletypes and radar.

local recycling regulations for the right way to do it. Thank you for buying this Almanac! We hope that you find it “useful, with a pleasant degree of humor. ” Thanks, too, to everyone who had a hand in it, including advertisers, distribu¬ tors, printers, and sales and delivery people.

84

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2011

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THE 2011 EDITION OF

The Old Farmer’s Almanac Established in 1792 and published every year thereafter

Robert B. Thomas (1766-1846), Founder Yankee Publishing Inc.

P.O. Box 520, 1121 Main Street, Dublin, NH 03444 Phone: 603-563-8111 • Fax: 603-563-8252 Sherin Pierce PUBLISHER EMERITUS: John B. Pierce Jr. EDITOR IN CHIEF: Judson D. Hale Sr.

PUBLISHER (23rd since 1792):

FOR DISPLAY ADVERTISING RATES Call 800-729-9265, ext. 215 Bob Bernbach • 914-769-0051 Steve Hall • 800-736-1100, ext. 320 Go to Almanac.com/Advertising FOR CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING Call Gallagher Group • 203-263-7171 AD PRODUCTION COORDINATOR:

Janet Grant

PUBLIC RELATIONS Quinn/Brein • 206-842-8922 TO BUY OR INQUIRE ABOUT ALMANAC PUBLICATIONS Call 800-ALMANAC (800-256-2622) or go to Almanac.com/Store TO SELL ALMANAC PRODUCTS Cindy Schlosser, 800-729-9265, ext. 126, or Stacey Korpi, ext. 160

RETAIL:

FUND-RAISING WITH ALMANAC PRODUCTS Sherin Pierce, 800-729-9265, ext. 137 DISTRIBUTORS Curtis Circulation Company New Milford, NJ BOOKSTORE: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Boston, MA NATIONAL:

The Old Farmer’s Almanac publications are available for sales promotions or premiums. Contact Beacon Promotions, info@ beaconpromot ions .com. Yankee Publishing Incorporated

Jamie Trowbridge, President; Judson D. Hale Sr., Senior Vice President; Jody Bugbee, Judson D. Hale Jr., Paul Belliveau, Brook Holmberg, Sherin Pierce, Vice Presidents. The Old Farmer’s Almanac/Yankee Publishing Inc. assumes no responsibility for claims made by advertisers or failure by its advertisers to deliver any goods or services advertised herein. Publication of any advertisement by The Old Farmer’s Almanac/ Yankee Publishing Inc. is not an endorsement of the product or service advertised therein. No part of this Almanac may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or other) without written permission of the publisher. PRINTED

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2011

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The Old Farmer’s Almanac

87

Astronomy

Eclipses ■ There will be six eclipses in 2011, four of the Sun and two of the Moon. Solar eclipses are visible only in certain areas and require eye protection to be viewed safely. Lunar eclipses are technically visible from the entire night side of Earth, but during a penumbral eclipse, the dimming of the Moon’s illumination is slight.

JANUARY 4: Partial eclipse of the Sun. This eclipse will not be visible from North America. The eclipse will be visible from Europe, north¬ ern Africa, the Middle East, and parts of Asia. JUNE 1: Partial eclipse of the Sun. This eclipse will be visible in North America only from northern Alaska and parts of northern Canada. In Deadhorse, Alaska, for example, the partial eclipse lasts from 12:31 p.m.-I :52 p.m. AKDT. JUNE 15: Total lunar eclipse. This eclipse will not be visible from North America. The eclipse will be visible from South America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and parts of Australia.

NOVEMBER 25: Partial eclipse of the Sun. This eclipse will not be visible from North America. The eclipse will be visible from Antarctica, southern Africa, southern India, and New Zea¬ land. DECEMBER 10: Total lunar eclipse. This eclipse will be fully visible from Alaska. The Moon will enter the penumbra at 2:32 a.m. AKST and will leave the penumbra at 8:32 a.m. AKST. The eclipse will be partially visible from parts of North America: Central and western areas will be able to observe both a penumbral and

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

Jan.

19

9

26

15

4

Feb.

18

7

25

14

3

Mar.

19

8

27

16

5

Apr.

17

6

25

15

4

May

17

5

25

14

3

June

15

4

23

13

2

July

15

3

22

12

1 & 31

Aug.

13

1& 31

20

10

29

Sept.

19

8

27

CM

JULY 1: Partial eclipse of the Sun. This eclipse will not be visible from North America. The eclipse will be visible from only a small area of the southern Indian Ocean.

Full-Moon Dates (Eastern Time)

29

Oct.

11

29

18

8

27

Nov.

10

28

17

6

25

Dec.

10

28

17

6

25

umbral eclipse. The Moon will enter the pen¬ umbra at 3:32 a.m. PST and the umbra at 4:45 a.m. PST. A penumbral eclipse will be visible from most of the East Coast, starting at 6:32 a.m. EST, just before the Moon sets.

The Moon’s Path The Moon’s path across the sky changes with the seasons. Full Moons are very high in the sky (at midnight) between November and Feb¬ ruary and very low between May and July.

Next Total Eclipse of the Sun

November 13, 2012: visible from northern Australia and the South Pacific Ocean. 88

Find more heavenly details at Almanac.com/Astronomy.

2011

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2011

City . ZIP

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The Old Farmer’s Almanac

3 s a s

CQ Q-

O

@1

89

Astronomy

Bright Stars Transit Times

■ This table shows the time (EST or EDT) and altitude of a star as it transits the meridian (i.e., reaches its highest elevation while passing over the horizon’s south point) at Boston on the dates shown. The transit time on any other date differs from that of the nearest date listed by approximately 4 minutes per day. To find the time of a star’s transit for your location, convert its time at Boston using Key Letter C (see Time Corrections, page 234). Time of Transit (EST/EDT) Star

Altair Deneb Fomalhaut Algol Aldebaran Rigel Capella Bellatrix Betelgeuse Sirius Procyon Pollux Regulus Spica Arcturus Antares Vega

Constellation

Aquila Cygnus Psc. Aus. Perseus Taurus Orion Auriga Orion Orion Can. Maj. Can. Min. Gemini Leo Virgo Bootes Scorpius Lyra

Magnitude

0.8 1.3 1.2 2.2 0.9 O.i 0.1 1.6 var. 0.4 -1.4 0.4 1.2 1.4 var. 1.0 -0.1 var. 0.9 0

Bold = p.m. Light = a.m.

Jan. 1

Mar. 1

May 1

July 1

Sept. 1

Nov. 1

(degrees)

12:51 1:42 3:58 8:08 9:35 10:14 10:16 10:24 10:54 11:44

8:59 9:50

6:00 6:50 9:06

2:00 2:50 5:06 9:16 10:44 11:22 11:24 11:33

9:52 10:42

5:52 6:43 8:59

56.3 92.8 17.8 88.5 64.1 39.4 93.6 54.0 55.0 31.0 52.9 75.7 59.7 36.6 66.9 21.3 86.4

12:42 12:48 3:11 6:27 7:17 9:31 11:38

12:06 4:16 5:43 6:22 6:24 6:32 7:02 7:52 8:46 8:52 11:15

2:35 3:25 5:39 7:46

1:16 2:43 3:22 3:24 3:32 4:02 4:52 5:46 5:52 8:15 11:31

12:25 2:39 4:46

12:03 12:52 1:46 1:52 4:15 7:31 8:22 10:35

12:46

1:02 5:12 6:40 7:18 7:21 7:29 7:59 8:49 9:43 9:49 12:11 3:28 4:18 6:31 8:38

1:13 2:40 3:18 3:21 3:29 3:59 4:49 5:43 5:49 8:11 11:28 12:18 2:32 4:38

Rise and Set Times

■ To find the time of a star’s rising at Bos¬ ton on any date, subtract the interval shown at right from the star’s transit time on that date; add the interval to find the star’s setting time. To find the rising and setting times for your city, convert the Boston transit times above using the Key Letter shown at right before applying the interval (see Time Corrections, page 234). The directions in which the stars rise and set, shown for Boston, are generally useful throughout the United States. Deneb, Algol, Capella, and Vega are circumpolar stars—they never set but appear to circle the celestial north pole. 90

Find more heavenly details

Star

Altair Fomalhaut Aldebaran Rigel Bellatrix Betelgeuse Sirius Procyon Pollux Regulus Spica Arcturus Antares

Interval (h. m.)

6 36 3 59 7 06 5 33 6 27 631 5 00 6 23 801 6 49 5 23 7 19 4 17

Rising Key Dir.*

B E B D B B D B A B D A E

EbN SE ENE EbS EbN EbN ESE EbN i NE EbN EbS ENE SEbE

Setting Key Dir.*

E D D B D D B D E D B

El A

WbN SW WNW WbS WbN WbN

wsw WbN NW WbN WbS WNW SWbW

*b =“by”

Almanac.com/Astronomy.

2011

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The Old Farmer’s Almanac

91

Astronomy

The Twilight Zone o

T

wilight is the time preceding sunrise and again following sunset, when the sky is partially illuminated. The three ranges of twilight are defined according to the Sun’s position below the horizon. Civil twilight occurs when the Sun is between the horizon and 6 degrees below the horizon (visually, the horizon is clearly defined). Nautical twilight occurs when the Sun is between 6 and 12 degrees below the horizon (the horizon is indistinct). Astronomical twilight occurs when the Sun is between 12 and 18 degrees below the horizon (sky illumination is imperceptible). When the Sun is at 18 degrees (dawn or dark) or below, there is no illumination. Length of Twilight (hours and minutes) LATITUDE

;

Jan. 1 to Apr. 10

Apr. 11 to May 2

May 3 to May 14

May 15 to May 25

May 26 to July 22

July 23 to Aug. 3

Aug. 4 to Aug. 14

Aug. 15 to Sept. 5

Sept. 6 to Dec. 31

25°N to 30°N

1 20

1 23

1 26

1 29

132

129

1 26

123

120

126

1 28

1 34

1 38

1 43

138

1 34

1 28

126

37°N to 42°N

1 33

1 39

147

1 52

1 59

1 52

1 47

1 39

1 33

43°N to 47°N

1 42

1 51

2 02

2 13

2 27

2 13

2 02

151

142

48°N to 49°N

150

2 04

2 22

2 42

—

2 42

2 22

204

150

31°N to 36°N

i

TO DETERMINE THE LENGTH OF TWILIGHT: The

length of twilight changes with latitude and the time of year. Use the Time Corrections table, page 234, to find the latitude of your city or the city nearest you. Use that figure in the chart above with the appropriate date to calculate the length of twilight in your area. TO DETERMINE WHEN DAWN OR DARK WILL OCCUR: Calculate the sunrise/sunset times for

your locality using the instructions in How to Use This Almanac, page 110. Subtract the length of twilight from the time of sunrise to deter¬

mine when dawn breaks. Add the length of twilight to the time of sunset to determine when dark descends. EXAMPLE:

Boston, Mass, (latitude 42°22') Sunrise, August 1 Length of twilight

5:36 a.m. EDT - 1 52

Dawn breaks

3:44 a.m.

Sunset, August 1

8:04 p.m. EDT

Length of twilight

+ 1 52

Dark descends

9:56 p.m.

Principal Meteor Showers POINT OF ORIGIN

DATE OF MAXIMUM*

Quadrantid .... .Predawn

N

Jan. 4

25

Lyrid. .Predawn Eta Aquarid. .Predawn Delta Aquarid . . . .Predawn

S ' SE S

Apr. 22 May 4 July 30

10

10 10

—

Perseid. .Predawn

NE

Aug. 11-13

50

Swift-Tuttle

Draconid. Orionid. Taurid. Leonid. Andromedid .... Geminid. Ursid.

NW S

s s s

Oct. 9 Oct. 21-22 Nov. 9 Nov. 18 Nov. 25-27

6 15 3 10 5

NE

Dec. 13-14

75

N

Dec. 22

5

Giacobini-Zinner Halley Encke Tempel-Tuttle Biela — Tuttle

SHOWER

BEST VIEWING

.Late evening .Predawn .Late evening .Predawn .Late evening .All night .Predawn

*May vary by one or two days

92

**Moonless, rural sky

NO. PER HOUR**

I

1

ASSOCIATED COMET

— Thatcher Halley

Bold = most prominent

Find more heavenly details at Almanac.com/Astronomy.

2011

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Do the Amish know Health Secrets that Doctors don’t? (SPECIAL) - Doctors have surprisingly discov¬ ered that the Amish have lower rates of cancer and heart disease than the average American. According to the U.S. Center for Disease Control, they also have lower incidences of high blood pressure and University of Tennessee research shows that they have lower rates of obesity. In addition, the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research found they have higher bone density and 42% fewer hip fractures. What’s their secret? In a University of Iowa study, 95% of the Amish surveyed said they rely on their own very effective and money saving home health cures. A remarkable new encyclopedia of health cures collected from families in Ohio’s Amish Country is now available to the general public. It’s called Amish Health Secrets and it contains a treasury of tried and true home remedies that have been trusted for generations. Amish Health Secrets reveals safe and natu¬ ral healers that cost next to nothing to make. They use simple items you probably already have around the house. Things like: vinegar, honey, garlic, baking soda, hydrogen peroxide, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, salt, lemons, onions, olive oil, herbs, egg whites... even bananas and potatoes. They also utilize seeds, nuts, berries, teas and other foods that medical science has discovered actually possess amazing healing properties. Medical research verifies that ingredients in Amish health cures are: anti-bacterial, anti¬ cancer, anti-fungus, anti-virus, anti-para¬ site... and can help lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol, reduce artery plaque, pre¬ vent blood clots and help you lose weight. Here’s a small sample of the valuable health saving remedies in Amish Health Secrets: • Allergies/Sinus: This mixture gives fast, sure relief • Arthritis Pain: An all natural tonic costs just pennies to make but the the pain relief it provides is priceless • Backache: This remedy works wonders • Colon Cleanse: A super effective detox formula • Fatigue: Try this pick-me-up to kick start your energy • Hair Loss: A penetrating treatment for thinning hair • Headache: Use this herb instead of aspirin to make headaches disappear • Memory: One tablespoon of this sharpens memory

2011

• Menopause: What eases hot flashes, mood swings • Nervousness: A safe relaxer that calms nerves • Prostate enlargement: This minty tea helps improve urine flow, ease symptoms and enhance romantic life • Skin: A moisturizing beauty treatment • Sleep: This formula can give you a good night’s sleep • Weight Loss: A very effective appetite controller Amish Health Secrets shows you how to pre¬ pare ointments, salves, liniments, tonics, lotions, poultices, syrups and compresses in your own kitchen to treat many more ailments, such as: asthma, burns, colds, coughs, cold sores, con¬ stipation, cramps, diarrhea, earache, foot pain, flu, gout, hemorrhoids, infections, insect bites, knee pain, muscle pain, rheumatism, sinus congestion, sore throat, toothache, uri¬ nary infections, varicose veins, warts and more. A bonus section of easy-to-make cleaning compounds that work just as good as storebought products and save you money. Things like: scouring powder, drain cleaner, oven cleaner, rust remover, bathtub cleaner, quickgrow plant food, pet cleaner, sanitizing fruit and vegetable soak, copper and brass polish, and a spot remover for carpets, upholstery, clothing and more. An extra bonus section con¬ tains loads of delicious Amish cooking and bak¬ ing recipes. Right now, as part of a special introductory offer you can receive a special press run of Amish Health Secrets for only $12.95 plus $2.00 shipping and handling. It comes with a 90 day money back guarantee. If not 100% satisfied, simply return it for a full refund - no questions asked. Order an extra copy for family or friend and SAVE. You can order 2 for only $20 total. HERE’S HOW TO ORDER: Simply PRINT your name, address and the words “Amish Health Secrets” on a piece of paper and mail it along with a check or money order to: IMPROVEMENT PUBLISHING, LLC, Dept. AH 199, PO. Box 197, Middlebranch, OH 44652. VISA or Master Card send card number and expiration date. Act now. Orders are fulfilled on a first come, first served basis. © 2010 Improvement Publishing, LLC

The Old Farmer’s Almanac

93

Astronomy

The Visible Planets ■ Listed here for Boston are viewing suggestions for and the rise and set times (EST/ EDT) of Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn on specific days each month, as well as when it is best to view Mercury. Approximate rise and set times for other days can be found by interpolation. Use the Key Letters at the right of each listing to convert the times for other localities (see pages 110 and 234). For all planet rise and set times by zip code, visit Almanac.com/Astronomy. Venus Our nearest planetary neighbor starts off as a dazzling morning star in the east, before dawn. On January 1, Venus gloriously shines at its highest and brightest of the year. Riveting in January, its splendor is short-lived, as it Mk rapidly gets lower and less bright until it is less than 10 degrees high in late March. It scrapes the horizon thereafter, through November. Its conjunction behind the Sun on August 16 doesn’t improve things. Finally, December brings a dramatic turnaround, as Venus, at nearly its dimmest, climbs from 10 to 20 degrees high, as seen 40 minutes after sunset. This is the setup for a gorgeous Venus apparition all next winter and through midspring.

s§>-

Jan. 1 .... Jan. 11 .. Jan. 21 .. Feb. 1.... Feb. 11.. Feb. 21.. Mar. 1... Mar. 11 . Mar. 21 .

rise rise rise rise rise rise rise rise rise

3:26 3:36 3:49 4:03 4:14 4:22 4:25 4:25 5:22

D E E E E E E E D

Apr. Apr. Apr. May May May June June June

1.... . 11.. . 21.. . 1.... . 11.. . 21.. . 1 ... . 11.. . 21.. .

rise rise rise rise rise rise rise rise rise

5:14 5:04 4:53 4:41 4:30 4:20 4:12 4:08 4:10

D D C C B B B B A

July 1.rise July 11 ... rise July 21 ... rise Aug. 1.... rise Aug. 11.. rise Aug. 21 ....set Sept. 1.set Sept. 11....set Sept. 21....set

4:17 4:31 4:49 5:13 5:38 7:46 7:35 7:23 7:10

A A A B B D D C C

Oct. 1. Oct. 11... Oct. 21... Nov. 1.... Nov. 11.. Nov. 21.. Dec. 1 .... Dec. 11 .. Dec. 21 .. Dec. 31 ..

.set .set set .set .set .set .set .set .set .set

6:58 6:47 6:39 6:34 5:35 5:43 5:56 6:16 6:39 7:04

C B B A A A A A A B

Mars Earth and Mars meet every 26 months, so the Red Planet has good years alternating with bad. This one is bad. Mars starts off dim, distant, and almost invisible, passes behind the Sun on February 4, and remains a tiny, inconspicuous, predawn object nearly all year. Decem¬ ber finally sees dramatic improvement as Mars rises before midnight and brightens by half a magnitude in that month alone, finishing the year at magnitude 0.4, the seventh brightest “star” in the winter sky, in Leo. At its opposition in March 2012, its most distant meeting with Earth in 17 years, it will attain only magnitude -1.0. Jan. 1 . ..set Jan. 11 ... ..set Jan. 21 ... ..set Feb. 1. rise Feb. 11... rise Feb. 21... rise Mar. 1.... rise Mar. 11 .. rise Mar. 21.. rise

4:55 4:54 4:55 7:07 6:49 6:30 6:14 5:53 6:31

^ Bold

^

94

= p.m.

A A B E E D D D C

Apr. Apr. Apr. May May May June June June

Light = A.M.

1.... . 11.. . 21. . 1.... . 11. . 21. . 1 ... . 11. . 21. .

rise rise rise rise rise rise rise rise rise

6:07 5:44 5:22 5:00 4:38 4:17 3:55 3:36 3:19

C C

c B B B B B A

July 1.rise July 11 ... rise July 21... rise Aug. 1.... rise Aug. 11.. rise Aug. 21.. rise Sept. 1.... rise Sept. 11.. rise Sept. 21.. rise

3:02 2:48 2:35

2:22 2:11 2:02 1:52 1:44 1:36

A A A A A A A A A

Oct. 1.... . rise Oct. 11.. . rise Oct. 21.. . rise Nov. 1... . rise Nov. 11. .. rise Nov. 21. .. rise Dec. 1 ... .. rise Dec. 11 . .. rise Dec. 21 . .. rise Dec. 31 . .. rise

1:27 1:18 1:08 12:55 11:41 11:27 11:11 10:52 10:30 10:04

A B B B B B B B B C

-illustrations, Beth Krommes

Find more heavenly details at Almanac.com/Astronomy.

2011

Astronomy

Jupiter The Giant Planet has a spectacular year, with a close October 28 opposition that won’t be equaled in brilliance until 2022. Jove starts the year as the night’s brightest “star,” in Pisces, just below aqua-color Uranus, a conjunction easily seen with binoculars. It remains visible albeit lower in February, passes behind the Sun on April 6, and then re-emerges as a morning star in May. This fascinating world rises 2 hours earlier each month, until it starts blazing before midnight beginning in August. It remains glorious for the rest of the year. Jan. 1 .... Jan. 11 .. Jan. 21 .. Feb. 1.... Feb. 11.. Feb. 21.. Mar. 1 ... Mar. 11. Mar. 21.

..set 10:42 ..set 10:11 ..set 9:40 ..set 9:08 ..set 8:39 ..set 8:11 ..set ..set ..set

7:48 7:21 7:54

C C C C C C C C C

Apr. Apr. Apr. May May May June June June

1.... ...set 11.. . rise 21.. . rise 1.... . rise 11.. . rise 21.. . rise 1 ... . rise 11.. . rise 21.. . rise

7:24

6:09 5:35 5:01 4:28 3:54 3:16 2:42 2:07

D C C B B B B B B

July 1.... rise July 11.. rise July 21.. rise Aug. 1... .. rise Aug. 11. .. rise Aug. 21. .. rise Sept. 1... .. rise Sept. 11. .. rise Sept. 21. .. rise

1:33 1:01 12:22 11:38 11:01 10:23 9:40 9:00 8:19

B B B B B B B B B

Oct. 1.... Oct. 11.. Oct. 21.. Nov. 1... Nov. 11. Nov. 21. Dec. 1 ... Dec. 11 . Dec. 21 . Dec. 31 .

. rise . rise . rise

7:38 6:56 6:13

..set ..set ..set ..set ..set ..set ..set

7:02 5:16 4:31 3:46 3:04 2:23 1:44

B B B D D D D D D D

Saturn The universe’s most beautiful planet is at its best from January through August; after that, it is either behind the Sun, low, or a predawn object. Saturn’s rings are now “opening up” after their edgewise orientation during the past two years and show up nicely with 30x magnifica¬ tion. In Virgo all year, Saturn rises at around midnight in mid-January, at 9:30 p.m. in mid-February, and at 8 p.m. in mid-March. It is out all night in April. Its opposition and closest approach occur on April 3. Saturn remains high and glorious in May and June, starts setting before midnight in mid-July, and then gets low and finally vanishes behind the Sun on October 13, in conjunction. Jan. 1 . rise Jan. 11 ... . rise Jan. 21 ... . rise Feb. 1. . rise Feb. 11... . rise Feb. 21... . rise Mar. 1 .... . rise Mar. 11 .. . rise Mar. 21 .. . rise

12:20 11:39 11:00 10:17 9:36 8:55 8:21 7:39 7:56

C C C C C C C C C

Apr. Apr. Apr. May May May June June June

1.... .. rise 11.. ...set 21.. ...set 1.... ...set 11.. ...set 21.. ...set 1 ... ...set 11.. ...set 21.. ...set

7:08

6:13 5:32 4:51 4:11 3:30 2:46 2:06 1:27

C C

c c c c c c c

July 1 .... ..set July 11 ... ..set July 21 ... ..set Aug. 1.... ..set Aug. 11.. ..set Aug. 21.. ..set Sept. 1... ..set Sept. 11.. ..set Sept. 21.. ..set

12:48 12:09 11:27 10:45 10:08 9:30 8:50 8:13 7:36

C C C C C C C C C

Oct. 1.... ...set Oct. 11.. ...set Oct. 21.. . rise Nov. 1... . rise Nov. 11. . rise Nov. 21. . rise Dec. 1 ... . rise Dec. 11 . . rise Dec. 21 . . rise Dec. 31 . . rise

6:59 6:23

6:27 5:50 4:17 3:43 3:09 2:35 2:00 1:24

C C D D D D D D D D

Mercury The speedy innermost planet bobs from morning to evening twilight and back again several times during the year. As an evening star in the west, Mercury has its best 2011 appearance in mid-March, when it hovers just to the right of Jupiter. Its runner-up display is in July. The tiny orange planet’s best predawn morning appearances occur in the first half of September, especially on the 9th-11th, and in the first half of November. It sits near the blue star Regulus on September 9 and is near Venus in the first weeks of November. DO NOT CONFUSE ■ Uranus, above Jupiter in the first week of January, with any star. Uranus is blue-green. ■ Mercury with Jupiter in mid-March. Jupiter is brighter and whiter. ■ Mercury with Regulus on September 9. The planet is orange; the star, blue. ■ Venus with Mercury in the first half of November. Venus is higher and brighter.

2011

The Old Farmer’s Almanac

95

Astronomy

Astronomical Glossary Aphelion (Aph.): The point in a planet’s orbit that is farthest from the Sun. Apogee (Apo.): The point in the Moon’s or¬ bit that is farthest from Earth. Celestial Equator (Eq.): The imaginary circle around the celestial sphere that can be thought of as the plane of Earth’s equator pro¬ jected out onto the sphere. Celestial Sphere: An imaginary sphere pro¬ jected into space that represents the entire sky, with an observer on Earth at its center. All celestial bodies other than Earth are imagined as being on its inside surface. Circumpolar: Always visible above the hori¬ zon, such as a circumpolar star.

Moon appears silhouetted against the Sun, with a ring of sunlight showing around it. Partial: The Moon blocks only part of the Sun. Ecliptic: The apparent annual path of the Sun around the celestial sphere. The plane of the ecliptic is tipped 23 Vi° from the celestial equator.

Conjunction: The time at which two or more celestial bodies appear closest in the sky. Infe¬ rior (Inf.): Mercury or Venus is between the Sun and Earth. Superior (Sup.): The Sun is between a planet and Earth. Actual dates for conjunctions are given in the Right-Hand Calen¬ dar Pages, 115-141; the best times for viewing the closely aligned bodies are given in Sky Watch on the Left-Hand Calendar Pages, 114-140.

Elongation: The difference in degrees be¬ tween the celestial longitudes of a planet and the Sun. Greatest Elongation (Gr. Elong.): The greatest apparent distance of a planet from the Sun, as seen from Earth.

Declination: The celestial latitude of an ob¬ ject in the sky, measured in degrees north or south of the celestial equator; analogous to latitude on Earth. This Almanac gives the Sun’s declination at noon.

Equinox: When the Sun crosses the celestial equator. This event occurs two times each year: Vernal is around March 20 and Autum¬ nal is September 22 or 23.

Eclipse, Lunar: The full Moon enters the shadow of Earth, which cuts off all or part of the sunlight reflected off the Moon. Total: The Moon passes completely through the umbra (central dark part) of Earth’s shadow. Partial: Only part of the Moon passes through the umbra. Penumbral: The Moon passes through only the penumbra (area of partial darkness surrounding the umbra). See page 88 for more eclipse information. Eclipse, Solar: Earth enters the shadow of the new Moon, which cuts off all or part of the Sun’s light. Total: Earth passes through the umbra (central dark part) of the Moon’s shadow, resulting in totality for observers within a narrow band on Earth. Annular: The 96

Epact: A number from 1 to 30 that indicates the Moon’s age on January 1 at Greenwich, England; used for determining the date of Easter.

Evening Star: A planet that is above the western horizon at sunset and less than 180° east of the Sun in right ascension. Golden Number: A number in the 19-year cycle of the Moon, used for determining the date of Easter. (Approximately every 19 years, the Moon’s phases occur on the same dates.) Add 1 to any given year and divide by 19; the remainder is the Golden Number. If there is no remainder, the Golden Number is 19. Greatest Illuminated Extent (Gr. Ilium. Ext.): When the maximum surface area of a planet is illuminated as seen from Earth. Magnitude: A measure of a celestial object’s brightness. Apparent magnitude measures the brightness of an object as see from Earth. (continued)

Get local rise, set, and tide times at Almanac.com/Astronomy.

2011

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NOT A RITUAL. NOT A WORD. THE MOST CHARGED PIECE OF MAGICKAL INFORMATION IN PRINT! Elias Raphael writes: It is a formula. The ‘Hand of God' is not a mere concept or metaphor. It’s in the Bible - or at least in some translations of it - but It has been here since the beginning of time. only the initiated know its meaning. I didn’t discover it; I was lucky to be taught by a wise one. EVERYTHING YOU DESIRE CAN BE YOURS WHEN YOU I REALIZE NOW THAT WHAT IS CONCEALED IN THE BIBLE USE THIS FORMULA. - AS OPPOSED TO WHAT IS OPENLY REVEALED Translated from the original texts the formula means the CONTAINS THE METAPHYSICAL SECRETS OF THE UNI¬ ‘Hand of God’. VERSE AND THE SECRET OF PHYSICAL MATTER ITSELF. The teacher under whom I studied told me (his exact words): You only need to know this formula to access this concealed ‘EVERYTHING BASIC IN THIS PHYSICAL WORLD IS wisdom. SUBJECT TO THE SACRED POWER OF THIS FORMULA. 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I repeat: suddenly whatever you want will be within your Open yourself to this message. Experience the Hand of God. Experience the power of real magick. grasp. This formula is derived from secret knowledge known only Real magick is the art and practice of creating material to initiates. It is not new: but it is largely unknown. events by the invocation of esoteric power. Most people who read the Bible have no idea of its As best I know, this information is at present available existence! But it is there, and it is called the ‘Hand of God’ for nowhere else. So, to some extent it still remains hidden. a perfectly good reason. You don’t need positive thinking. I got the woman I wanted with this formula. You need only to accept the formula and put it into practice. I am not rich, for I don’t care for material things. I am not a Tell no one what you are doing. THINK AGAIN ABOUT WHAT YOU MOST WANT. businessman. But when I need money I receive it. This formula is the one thing that can put it in your grasp. With the Hand of God I am always provided for. WHAT YOU SEEK CAN BE YOURS: AUTOMATICALLY AND IT NEVER, EVER, FAILS ME. ABSOLUTELY. Within the ‘Hand of God’ lies all creation and everything that What is important to me is good health. I believe that all the health problems I had - and I was a sickly child - disappeared is in it. But this is a magickal idea, not a Christian nor a Jewish because of the ‘Hand of God’. one. It is an ancient Egyptian concept, found by the Jews in I find it easy to ‘believe’ when the results are always Egypt. apparent. The Hand of God cannot fail you. It epitomizes the BUT THE POINT IS: WHATEVER YOU SEEK OR DESIRE inexhaustible law of supply. YOUR NEED CAN BE SUPPLIED. YOUR DESIRE CAN BE IN THIS WORLD CAN BE YOURS. IT CAN BE AUTOMATICALLY YOURS. FULFILLED. YOUR DREAM CAN COME TRUE. Think again seriously about what you most want. A job Only the ‘Hand of God can do this. promotion? The love of another person? The renewed love of YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE OF A RELIGIOUS FRAME OF someone? Better health? More money? Protection? To get out MIND. You are not asked to believe in the God of the church. of trouble? To deal with injustice? Ever since the scriptures were written they possessed a THE PROBLEM CAN BE SOLVED, THE NEED CAN BE secret, inner meaning. This meaning is rooted in the magick FULFILLED. of ancient Egypt. This booklet contains not only my monograph on the Hand The stories people believe in the Bible were written for the of God, but also the teachings of the Christian Mysteries of the public, their true significance concealed. the Rosy Cross which will inspire those fascinated by the ‘hidden’ side of Christianity. All you need for this formula to work is to follow the But I reiterate: TO USE THIS FORMULA YOU DO NOT HAVE instructions carefully (not difficult). Think of the thing you most want now. TO BE A ‘BELIEVER’. This is a magickal text, not religious. 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2011

Thf. Old Farmer’s Almanac

97

Astronomy Astronomical Glossary (continued)

Objects with an apparent magnitude of 6 or less are observable to the naked eye. The lower the magnitude, the greater the bright¬ ness. An object with a magnitude of -1, for example, is brighter than an object with a magnitude of +1. Absolute magnitude expresses how bright objects would appear if they were all the same distance (about 33 light-years) from Earth.

When the body is moving from south to north of the ecliptic. Descending: When the body is moving from north to south of the ecliptic.

Midnight: Astronomical midnight is the time when the Sun is opposite its highest point in the sky (noon). Midnight is neither a.m. nor p.m., although 12-hour digital clocks typi¬ cally display midnight as 12:00 a.m. On a 24-hour time cycle, 00:00, rather than 24:00, usually indicates midnight.

Perigee (Perig.): The point in the Moon’s orbit that is closest to Earth.

Moon on Equator: The Moon is on the celes¬ tial equator. Moon Rides High/Runs Low: The Moon is highest above or farthest below the celestial equator. Moonrise/Moonset: When the Moon rises above or sets below the horizon. Moon’s Phases: The changing appearance of the Moon, caused by the different angles at which it is illuminated by the Sun. First Quarter: Right half of the Moon is illumi¬ nated. Full: The Sun and the Moon are in op¬ position; the entire disk of the Moon is illumi¬ nated. Last Quarter: Left half of the Moon is illuminated. New: The Sun and the Moon are in conjunction; the entire disk of the Moon is darkened. Moon’s Place, Astronomical: The actual position of the Moon within the constellations on the celestial sphere. Astrological: The astrological position of the Moon within the zodiac, according to calculations made more than 2,000 years ago. Because of precession of the equinoxes and other factors, this is not the Moon’s actual position in the sky.

Occultation (Occn.): When the Moon or a planet eclipses a star or planet. Opposition: The Moon or a planet appears on the opposite side of the sky from the Sun (elongation 180°).

Perihelion (Perih.): The point in a planet’s orbit that is closest to the Sun. Precession: The slowly changing position of the stars and equinoxes in the sky resulting from variations in the orientation of Earth’s axis. Right Ascension (R.A.): The celestial lon¬ gitude of an object in the sky, measured east¬ ward along the celestial equator in hours of time from the vernal equinox; analogous to longitude on Earth. Solar Cycle: In the Julian calendar, a period of 28 years, at the end of which the days of the month return to the same days of the week. Solstice, Summer: When the Sun reaches its greatest declination (23'A0) north of the celestial equator, around June 21. Winter: When the Sun reaches its greatest declination (23 Vi°) south of the celestial equator, around December 21. Stationary (Stat.): The brief period of ap¬ parent halted movement of a planet against the background of the stars shortly before it appears to move backward/westward (retro¬ grade motion) or forward/eastward (direct motion). Sun Fast/Slow: When a sundial reading is ahead of (fast) or behind (slow) clock time.

Morning Star: A planet that is above the east¬ ern horizon at sunrise and less than 180° west of the Sun in right ascension.

Sunrise/Sunset: The visible rising and set¬ ting of the upper edge of the Sun’s disk across the unobstructed horizon of an observer whose eyes are 15 feet above ground level.

Node: Either of the two points where a celestial body’s orbit intersects the ecliptic. Ascending:

Twilight: For definitions of civil, nautical, and astronomical twilight, see page 92. □□

98

Get local rise, set, and tide times at Almanac.com/Astronomy.

2011

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2011

The Old Farmer’s Almanac

99

Astronomy

The Light of the

The captivating crescent may be the Moon's most fascinating phase. BY BOB BERMAN hen first sighted each month, hovering in twilight, the Moon's slender crescent is mesmerizing. t

Early cave paintings reveal a primitive fascination with the crescent Moon, and its allure continues to this day.

-photo. Antonio M. Rosario/Getly Images

Astronomy

LOOK FOR A SLY, SLIM SMILE THE CRESCENT MOON is always low in the sky and confined to the hours around dawn or dusk; it is never in darkness. Cartoonists often depict the crescent Moon in a midnight sky, but this is impossible: The night’s middle hours are for the broad, or fat, phases of the Moon—gibbous and full. The crescent Moon’s orientation depends on the time of day, the season, and the viewer’s location. During evening twilight, from January through March, in all of the northern temperate latitudes (from 25° to 50° north latitude, encompassing Canada, China, all of Europe, Japan, Russia, and the United States; see page 234), the changing angle of the lunar orbit with respect to the horizon orients the crescent with its points, or horns, aimed upward, displaying a benevolent smile. For the remainder of the year, the crescent appears sideways, like an archer’s bow. At no time of night from any location on Earth does the Moon appear to be frowning; this occurs only around midday, in full sunlight. The year-round view from the tropics (near right) is of a smiling crescent, while in northern polar regions (Alaska, the Yukon, the Northwest Territories, and Nunavut), the crescent always points sideways (far right). -Alan Me Knight, from Secrets of the Night Sky by Bob Berman (HarperCollins, 1995)

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NORTH. SOUTH; LEFT, RIGHTthe Same, but Different r vi M'

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n both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, the shape and width of the crescent Moon is the same on the same day. However,

the angle of the crescent's orientation differs. The crescent's illumn-" is always aimed at the Sun, while its points, or horns, aim directly from the Sun. In our hemisphere, the Moon stands above or (mor usually) to the upper left of the sunset point. In the Southern Hemispher

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it stands to the upper right of the sunset point. The crescent's "tilt" looks

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different from each place .

CONTINUED

101

Astronomy

^ot’s "NEMO-WHAT'S NOT NUMEROUS CULTURES OBSERVE this centuries-old tradition: They call the first

sighting of the crescent Moon after its monthly 3-day absence the “new Moon.” (The 3 days include the 36 hours before the new Moon and the 36 hours after it.) For example, among Muslims, the first sighting marks the start of each month and determines fast times and holidays. Today, to astronomers and scientists, “new Moon” means “no Moon.” The phrase describes the date and hour when the Moon is closest to the Sun and completely obscured from Earth by solar glare. Two days and 26 degrees later (the Moon appears to move leftward 13 degrees every 24 hours), when the Moon is not in line with the Sun and therefore is only marginally in view, the waxing crescent appears just above the western horizon, setting soon after sunset. -Stephen V. Loos

SUN- AND (YES!) MOON

s,-'

~=;sun)~

I TVThen the crescent Moon appears in

s'*.‘'V

* * evening twilight, a strange but famous feature becomes visible: The dark portion of the Moon (the area unlit by the Sun) seems to glow. Historically called "the new Moon in the

and the Moon: When the Moon appears

old Moon's arms," the phenomenon is now

thinnest from Earth, Earth would look full from

aptly known as

earthshine.

the Moon. Conversely, Earth would appear to

This occurs because 38 percent of the

be unlit, or in its "new" phase, if viewed from

sunlight that strikes Earth bounces back into

the Moon during what we would see as the

space; some of this earthlight bathes the lunar

Moon's full phase.

surface. About 10 percent of that light bounces

Don't be fooled: The portion of the crescent

off the lunar surface (which is not very reflec¬

Moon that is illuminated by earthshine appears

tive) to create the visible glow (earthshine)

to be part of a smaller orb than the sunlit

on the Moon's dark side.

crescent. This mirage is caused by our eyes'

The thinnest Moon crescents (both waxing

response to the different light levels. It vanishes

and waning) display the brightest earthshine.

when you view the crescent through binoculars.

This is due to the phase reciprocity of the Earth

102

CONTINUED

-illustration, Alan McKnight, from Secrets of the Night Sky by Bob Berman (HarperCollins, 1995)

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4 DAYS

MOON’S ACTUAL DIAMETER

J) 2 DAYS

The Moon moves eastward in its orbit around Earth 13 degrees per day, or about its own diameter each hour. The illustration above shows the Moon’s position 45 minutes after sunset for 4 days after the new Moon. The size of our Moon has been exaggerated to show how the crescent changes appearance.

AFTER SUNSET, the crescent Moon’s points, or horns, always aim directly away

from the sunset. Imagine the crescent as an archer’s bow: The invisible arrow is aimed directly at the Sun, which is below the horizon. Each succeeding night at the same time, the waxing crescent sits higher in the sky and farther left, in an increasingly sideways orientation. The Moon stays out longer before setting and becomes an increasingly nighttime (not twilight) phenomenon. Simultaneously, the Earth-lit portion shrinks and dims; Earth is shrinking into a thinner phase in the lunar sky. Just 4 or 5 days after the Moon’s “new” phase, it opens up more than a 45-degree angle from the Sun and is high in the southwest when twilight ends.

104

-illustration, Alan McKnight, from Secrets of the Night Sky by Bob Berman (HarperCollins, 1995)

Astronomy

AT THE AGE OF 23 DAYS (the time since

“new” phase), the Moon enters a second crescen cycle. This waning, predawn sliver receives less attention than its waxing evening cousin. Rising only after midnight, it appears monthly for 5 consecutive days. Seen only in the eastern sky with its points, or horns, aiming rightward (the opposite of the evening form), it heralds the dawn Its size foretells the time:

-Steve Satushek/Getty Images

4 A broad waning crescent normally appears between 1:00 and occasionally around midnight.

4

A slim crescent rises in full darkness, just before morning t

4

A thin sliver of crescent appears only in morning twilight an

ONLY TWO OTHERS "C ven through the world's most powerful telescopes, only two other crescents can be seen from Earth-those of planets Mercury (near right) and Venus (far

right). The dearth of crescents is because of Earth's location: We can see the crescents only of planets between us and the Sun. If we lived on Pluto, all of the planets in our solar system, as well as the numerous moons of Jupiter, -NASA

Saturn, and Uranus, would be lit from behind and appear as crescents half of the time. WMM

In winter, when the Moon's horns are sharp and well-defined, frost is expected. -Scottish proverb

CONTINUED 105

Ast ro n o my

Calling All

FINDING THE HAIR-THIN LUNAR ARC each month has become

sport. Today, millions of people—amateur astronomers, nature enthusiasts, and casual observers—compete to find the “youngest” Moon. (The lunar age is the number of hours or days that have elapsed since the Moon became new. See the Left-Hand Calendar Pages, 114-140.) The best crescent-spotting conditions in the Northern Hemi¬ sphere occur from January through March, as the Moon’s path (its day-to-day change of position) moves nearly vertically up from the sunset point. During the rest of the year, the line follows a horizon-scraping, leftward slant. Since 1990, the youngest Moon sighted with the naked eye has been 15/2 hours old. Thirteen-hour-old crescents have been viewed with binoculars. A wee 1-day-old Moon (the orb exactly 24 hours after it was officially “new”) looks as thin as a wire, is very close to the skyline, and is usually mired in thick horizon haze. It is almost impossible to see in autumn. A 2-day-old Moon is easy to spot: It is relatively broad, or fat; higher above the horizon (8 degrees, on average) than it was the previous day; and viewable 15 minutes or so after sunset.

□□

Bob Berman is the author of six books, including Biocentrism (BenBella Books, 2009). He is also director of astronomy for SLOOH, the global online observatory.

MOON US! Would you like to see a slivery Moon? Find its phase time for your location at Almanac.com/Moon/ Calendar. Take a picture, if possible, and upload it with the details of your location and time to

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2011

The Old Farmer’s Almanac

107

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2011

How to Use

How to Use This Almanac The calendar pages (114-141)

unchanged since 1792, when

are the heart of The Old Farmer’s Almanac. They present sky sightings and

Robert B. Thomas pub1 i shed his first edition, The long columns of num-

astronomical data for the entire year and are what make this book a true almanac, a “calendar of

I

bers and symbols reveal a11 of nature’s precision, rhythm, and glory, providing an astronomical

the heavens.” In essence, these pages are

look at the year 2011.

Why We Have Seasons

Vernal Equinox

celestial e QU47,

nn*

SPRING

J"***

ORBIT

Winter Solstice

V £

wll MB

W ,c

E A RT U ’ s

Summer Solstice

\ • / c■*# ■■■=

summer

Autumnal Equinox

OR®

AinuNii*

cel LEST

I A L

EQ uU°

THE SEASONS OF 2011

Spring.March 20, 7:21 Summer.June 21,1:16

p.m. p.m.

EDT EDT

Autumn.September 23, 5:05 a.m. EDT Winter.December 22,12:30 a.m. EST

■ The seasons occur because as Earth

when the North Pole is tilted away from

revolves around the Sun, its axis remains tilted at 23.5 degrees from the perpendic¬

the Sun. The equinoxes occur when the hemi¬

ular. This tilt causes different latitudes

spheres equally face the Sun and receive

on Earth to receive varying amounts of

equal amounts (12 hours each) of daylight

sunlight throughout the year. In the Northern Hemisphere, the sum¬

and darkness. The vernal equinox marks

mer solstice marks the beginning of sum¬

equinox marks the beginning ot autumn.

mer and occurs when the North Pole is

In the Southern Hemisphere, the seasons

tilted toward the Sun. The winter solstice

are the reverse of those in the Northern Hemisphere. (continued)

marks the beginning of winter and occurs

2011

the beginning of spring; the autumnal

The Old Farmer’s Almanac

109

How to Use —

■

The Left-Hand Calendar Pages * 114-140

■

WSm A

SAMPLE

MONTH

The box at the top of each Left-Hand Calendar Page describes the best times to view celestial highlights, including conjunctions, meteor showers, and planets. (The dates on which select astronomical events occur appear on the Right-Hand Calendar Pages.)

SKY WATCH

7:13 7:13 7:13

E E E

Sets h. m.

4:22 4:23 4:23

A A A

Sun Declination Fast of Sun

m.

m.

9 09 9 10 9 10

12 12 11

h.

0

i

High Tide Times Boston

1

22s.59 22 54 22 48

8i

9

91 10

10 10!

.... 111.0 N.W.T., leaking radioactive waste, 1978 * ' es l 10.8

3rb

af.

-

Conversion of Paul. dbG* isno Sts. Timothy & Titus • Raccoons mate now. • Tides |

this

winter s no quitter! Storms are various, but

-ir For explanations of Almanac terms, see the glossaries on pages 96, 142, and 241. Predicting Earthquakes ■ Note the dates in the Right-Hand Calendar Pages when the Moon rides high or runs low. The date of the high begins the most likely 5-day period of earthquakes in the Northern Hemisphere; the date of the low indicates a similar 5-day period in the Southern Hemi¬ sphere. Also noted are the 2 days each month when the Moon is on the celestial equator,

112

indicating the most likely time for earth¬ quakes in either hemisphere.

Find more heavenly details at Almanac.com.

2011

How to Use

■ Throughout the Right-Hand Calendar Pages are groups of symbols that represent notable celestial events. The symbols and names of the principal planets and aspects are:

Sun

tjr Neptune

Moon

9

Mercury

d Conjunction (on the

0 •G d 9

Venus

©

Earth

same celestial longitude)

cf % b

Mars

£ Ascending node

Jupiter

6

Uranus

Saturn

Pluto

Descending node

8 Opposition (180

EXAMPLE:

dWC on the 7th day of the month (see op¬ posite page) means that on that date a con¬ junction (d) of Neptune (W) and the Moon (G) occurs: They are aligned along the same celestial longitude and appear to be closest together in the sky. EARTH AT PERIHELION AND APHELION

■ Perihelion: January 3, 2011. Earth will be 91,407,361 miles from the Sun. Aphelion: July 4, 2011. Earth will be 94,512,005 miles from the Sun.

degrees from Sun) 2011 Calendar Highlights

Septuagesima Sunday. . . February 20 Shrove Tuesday. . . . . March 8 Ash Wednesday. . . . . March 9 Palm Sunday. .April 17 First day of Passover. . . . . April 19 Good Friday. . . . . April 22 Easter. . . . . April 24 Orthodox Easter. . . . . April 24 Rogation Sunday. .May 29 Ascension Day. . June 2 Whitsunday-Pentecost. .... June 12 Trinity Sunday. .... June 19 Corpus Christi. .... June 26 First day of Ramadan. .... August 1 Rosh Hashanah. September 29 Yom Kippur. . . . October 8 First Sunday of Advent. . November 27 First day of Chanukah. December 21 CHRONOLOGICAL CYCLES

Dominical Letter. Epact. Golden Number (Lunar Cycle). Roman Indiction. Solar Cycle. Year of Julian Period.

2011

.B . 25 . 17 . 4 . 4 . 6724

.. •. •>. //////////*

’i/diM/j

-Beth Krommes

MOVABLE RELIGIOUS OBSERVANCES

.. -1 ^

///**

ERAS Era

Year

Begins

Byzantine

7520

September 14

Jewish (A.M.)*

5772

September 29

4709 Chinese (Lunar) [Year of the Rabbit]

February 3

Roman (A.U.C.)

2764

January 14

Nabonassar

2760

April 21

Japanese

2671

January 1

Grecian (Seleucidae) 2323

September 14 (or October 14)

Indian (Saka)

1933

March 22

Diocletian

1728

September 12

Islamic (Hegira)

1433

November 26

*Year begins at sunset the evening before.

The Old Farmer’s Almanac

113

B

NOVEMBER The

Eleventh

Month

•

2010

SKY WATCH ☆ A two-ring circus. In the evening sky after sunset, Jupiter has retrograded to

the Aquarius-Pisces border, still brilliant and dominant in the south most of the night yet fading ever so slightly to magnitude -2.6. The Moon passes Jupiter on the 16th. In the predawn arena, Saturn and especially Venus speedily return, with Venus rivetingly brilliant as it explosively - brightens from magnitude -4.1 to -4.9. At midmonth, 40 minutes before sunrise, UFO-like E Venus stands 15 degrees high, with Virgo’s blue star Spica just above it and Saturn higher still. N While the Ringed World barely exceeds Spica’s so-so magnitude 1 brightness, Venus is many times more brilliant than the other two. #

C O 3

6th 13th 21 st 28 th

New Moon First Quarter Full Moon Last Quarter

day day day day

0 11th 12th 15 th

hour hour hour hour

52nd 39th 27th 36th

minute minute minute minute

After 2:00 a.m. on November 7, Eastern Standard Time is given.

114

5:37 5:36 5:35 5:33 5:32 5:31 4:30 4:29 4:28 4:27 4:26 4:25 4:24 4:23 4:22 4:21 4:20 4:19 4:19 4:18 4:17 4:16 4:16 4:15 4:15 4:14 4:14 4:13 4:13 4:12

Length of Day h.

m.

B

10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9

20 18 16 12 10 08 06 03 01 59 57 54 52 50 48 45 43 41

B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B A A A A A A A A A A

Sun Declination of Sun Fast m.

32 32 32 32 32 32 32 32 32 32 32 32 31 31 31 31 31 31 40 30 37 30 35 30 33 30 32 29 30 29 29 29 26 28 25 28 23 28 22 27 20 27

o

High Tide Times Boston

•

14s.32 14 51 15 10 15 29 15 47 16 05 16 23 16 40 16 57 17 14 17 31 17 47 18 03 18 19 18 34 18 49 19 04 19 18 19 32 19 46 19 59 20 12 20 25 20 37 20 49 21 00 21 11 21 22 21 32 21s. 42

7 7§ 8 8§ 9 9§ 10 101 10i 111

ni 121 12 121

li 2i 3i

4i 51 6 7 74 81 9 91 10 i 11 111 121 11 2 3 31 41 51

G Rises h. m.

1:43 2:58 4:13 5:29 6:45 8:00 8:11 9:14 10:08 10:52 11:28 11:58

» £= re o o EE 1 2 3 4 5 6

Weather

til faints’ Michelangelo’s fresco on Sistine f 9.7 Skim M. All AdllllS • chapel ceiling unveiled, 1512 * 1 10.1 ice Tu. All Souls’ • Election Day • (£ Eq • Tides j rr at Mary Jacobs granted patent f 10.8 / • W. kk perig. • for first modem bra, 1914 * 1 10.4 CraCKing, j]'(? (Royal) Montreal Golf Club, oldest f 11.4 snow Th. CJ apples are ripe now.

football

,900

. {$

Desoto car discontinued, 1960

f 1 es \

_. ,

*

9.5 g.g

•

•Fu|1 Beaver

Tides

snow

J

j

buries

O •Tides {'cj i

our

Santa Ana winds in parts of southern Calif, made airborne rubble a hazard, 1957

cars. Thanks

23 Tu. 24 W. 25 Th. 26 Fr. 27 Sa. 28

C

29 M. 30 Tu.

rr 1T00 The belly carries the legs kk O • and n0f the legs the belly. * Thanksgiving National Independent Day * Party organized, 1874

f

9.3 1 es l 10.8 T- , J 9.3 * ltes 10.7

France’s first satellite, Asterix 1, launched, 1961 0.5" snow began falling in northern Fla., 1912

vk

eq.

•

•

t

Tides

o4

| j„C

Basketball inventor James Naismith died, 1939 Richard Byrd’s expedition first T , J 9.8 to fly over South Pole, 1929 * 1 es \ 9.9

And raw . Of. Xlouent • (j on

for

1

10.1 9.7

/ never think of the future—it comes soon enough.

2011

stars, heavy

Old friends, old wine, and old gold are best.

Skunks hibernate now.

•

r

1

Hup of Lincoln. *

gone hut

not forgotten.

jq'q

T

13 Sa. C

2010

Farmer’s Calendar

Dates, Feasts, Fasts, Aspects, Tide Heights

O>

•

bless fhe sage: ice age!

Albert Einstein

■ The thing to remember about weather signs in nature is that they are highly reliable. In fact, many are never wrong. Consider the celebrated woolly bear cater¬ pillar, larva of the Isabella tiger moth (Pyrrharctia isabella). It’s a plump, 2-inch worm covered in soft bristles—black at the crea¬ ture’s ends and in its middle the color of a red fox. Everybody knows that the ratio of black bristles to mst on the woolly bear foretells the coming winter: More black bristles mean a hard winter; more mst, a mild one. Or maybe it’s the other way around. It scarcely matters. This is because woolly bears have been predicting the weather for a long time, and they know how to cover themselves. Some years ago, for example, we had an unusual spate of woolly bears in this neighbor¬ hood. They appeared late in the fall, after the frosts had set in, and they appeared in numbers. In a half-hour’s walk, you’d see hun¬ dreds of woolly bears creeping across the road. On examination, they showed a great variety of color proportions, from nearly all¬ black to mst with the least dip of black at the ends. Evidently, then, there could be no kind of winter that some of them would not ac¬ curately predict. The benefit for the would-be weather-wise is obvious. If you distrust the augury of a given woolly bear, then you simply ig¬ nore that caterpillar, take a step, and believe another.

Listen to the Farmer's Calendar at Almanac.com.

115

A

R

E C E M B E R

The

lfth

Month

•

2010

*

Dazzling in the east during the 2 hours before dawn, Venus attains its greatest brilliancy during the first week of this month, at a shadow-casting magnitude -4.9. This is its best month as a morning star. Venus floats just to the left of the crescent Moon on the mornings of the 2nd and the 31st. Mercury appears far below and to the left of Venus on the 30th and 31st. Brilliant Jupiter is prominent at dusk, setting at around midnight at midmonth. An exceptional total eclipse of the Moon is visible throughout North America early on the 21st. The partial eclipse begins at 1:32 a.m., with totality starting at 2:40 a.m. Winter arrives the same day, with the solstice at 6:38 p.m. SKY WATCH

#

C O 3

5 th 13th 21st 27th

New Moon First Quarter Full Moon Last Quarter

day day day day

12th 8th 3rd 23rd

hour hour hour hour

36th 59th 13th 18th

minute minute minute minute

All times are given in Eastern Standard Time.

335 336 337 338 339 340 341 342 343 344 345 346 347 348 349 350 351 352 353 354 355 356 357 358 359 360 361 362 363 364 365

116

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

W.

Th. Fr. Sa. C

M. Tu. W.

Th. Fr. Sa.

C M. Tu. W.

Th. Fr. Sa.

C M. Tu. W.

Th. Fr. Sa.

C M. Tu. W.

Th. Fr.

6:53 6:54 6:55 6:56 6:57 6:58 6:59 7:00 7:01 7:02 7:03 7:04 7:04 7:05 7:06 7:07 7:07 7:08 7:08 7:09 7:10 7:10 7:10 7:11 7:11 7:12 7:12 7:12 7:12 7:13 7:13

E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E

4:12 4:12 4:12 4:11 4:11 4:11 4:11 4:11 4:11 4:11 4:11 4:11 4:11 4:12 4:12 4:12 4:12 4:13 4:13 4:14 4:14 4:15 4:15 4:16 4:16 4:17 4:18 4:18 4:19 4:20 4:21

A A A A A A A A A A A

T\ A

A

A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A

Sun Declination Fast of Sun

h.

m.

m.

9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9

19 18 17 15 14 13 12 11 10 09 08 07 07 07 06 05 05 05 05 05 04 05 05 05 05 05 06 06 07 07 08

27 26 26 26 25 25 24 24 23 23 22 22 22 21 21 20 20 19 19 18 18 17 17 16 16 15 15 14 14 13 13

O

High Tide Times Boston

1

21 s.51 22 00 22 08 22 17 22 24 22 32 22 38 22 45 22 51 22 56 23 01 23 06 23 10 23 13 23 17 23 19 23 21 23 23 23 25 23 25 23 26 23 26 23 25 23 24 23 23 23 21 23 18 23 15 23 12 23 08 23 s 04

G Rises h. m.

G Sets h. m.

Set Key

Sets h. m.

Length of Day

Rise Key

&

Set Key

Rises h. m.

Rise Key

Day of Week

Day of Month

Day of Year

Purchase these pages with times set to your zip code at MyLocaiAlmanac.com.

61 1\

G

G

Place Age

71 2:12 E 1:15 C VIR 81 3:25 E 1:48 B VIR 8i 9t 4:39 E 2:26 B VIR 9i 10 5:51 E 3:11 B LIB 103 11 6:57 E 4:04 B SCO 11 ll! 7:55 E 5:03 B OPH 111 — 8:44 E 6:06 B SAG 121 121 9:24 E 7:11 B SAG n If 9:57 E 8:15 C SAG 2 2! 10:24 E 9:17 C AQU 21 3 10:49 D 10:18 D CAP 31 3i 11:11 D 11:17 D AQU — - PSC 41 4| 11:33 C 51 5§ 11:56 C 12:16 D PSC 6 6§ 12:20 C 1:16 E PSC 6l 7§ 12:46 B 2:18 E PSC 71 81 3:21 E ARI 1:18 B 81 9 4:26 E ARI 1:56 B 91 9! 2:43 B 5:29 E TAU 10 10! 6:30 E TAU 3:39 B 103 Ill 7:24 E TAU 4:44 B 111 — 8:11 E GEM 5:55 B 121 121 7:09 C 8:51 E GEM 1 1 8:23 C 9:25 E CAN 11 2 9:37 D 9:55 D LEO 21 2| 10:50 D 10:23 D SEX — 31 3! 10:50 C LEO 41 4! 12:02 E 11:19 C VIR 51 5t 1:15 E 11:49 B VIR 61 7 2:27 E 12:25 B VIR 71 8 1:06 B LIB 3:38 E

To use this page, see p. 110; for Key Letters, see p. 234.

Bold = p.m.

Light =

a.m.

25 26 27 28 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

2011

E C E M B E R December

31

hath

days

1

W.

2 Th.

Weather

Dates, Feasts, Fasts, Aspects, Tide Heights

• O

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First 12 nations signed 10.5 * Antarctic Treaty, 1959 * l 9.7

relief,

Quebec Bridge opened to rail Tj, f 11.2 traffic, Quebec City, 1917 * l 9.8 Ac tress Deanna f 11.4 GR. ILLUM. EXT. • Durbin born_ 1921 • Tides ( 9Sfz< Wm®

SKY WATCH Vz Venus, a morning star, rises 3 hours before the Sun at a dazzling magnitude

-4.7, its brightest of the year. It now reaches its highest point of 2011. Venus attains its great¬ est separation from the Sun, 47 degrees, on the 8th. Mercury is a morning star, too, visible at the lower left of Venus during the first 20 days of the month. Mars, however, lurks on the far side of the Sun, lost in its glare. In the evening sky, Jupiter is the brightest “star” at nightfall, in the southwest. Binoculars easily reveal blue-green Uranus just above it during the first week of the month. The Moon is near Mercury on the 2nd and Jupiter on the 9th. Saturn, in Virgo, rises at midnight. Earth reaches perihelion, its closest point to the Sun, on the 3rd. # € O 3

4th 12th 19th 26th

New Moon First Quarter Full Moon Last Quarter

day day day day

4th 6th 16th 7th

hour hour hour hour

3rd minute 31st minute 21st minute 57th minute

All times are given in Eastern Standard Time.

118

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

B M. Tu. W. Th. Fr. Sa. B

M. Tu. W. Th. Fr. Sa.

B M. Tu. W. Th. Fr. Sa.

B M. Tu. W. Th. Fr. Sa.

B M.

7:13 7:13 7:13 7:13 7:13 7:13 7:13 7:13 7:12 7:12 7:12 7:12 7:11 7:11 7:10 7:10 7:09 7:09 7:08 7:08 7:07 7:06 7:06 7:05 7:04 7:03 7:02 7:01 7:00 7:00 6:59

E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E

Sets h. m.

4:22 4:23 4:23 4:24 4:25 4:26 4:27 4:28 4:29 4:30 4:32 4:33 4:34 4:35 4:36 4:37 4:38 4:40 4:41 4:42 4:43 4:45 4:46 4:47 4:48 4:50 4:51 4:52 4:54 4:55 4:56

Length of Day h.

m.

A

9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9

09 10 10 11 12 13 14 15 17 18 20 21 23 24

A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A B B B B

B B B B B B B B B B

26

27 29 31 33 34 36 39 40 42 44 47 49 51 54 55 57

Sun Declination Fast of Sun m.

O

High Tide Times Boston

1

12 22 s. 59 12 22 54 11 22 48 11 22 42 10 22 35 10 22 28 10 22 21 9 22 13 9 22 04 8 21 55 8 21 46 8 21 37 7 21 27 7 21 16 6 21 05 6 20 54 6 20 42 5 20 30 20 18 5 5 .20 05 5 19 52 4 19 38 4 19 24 4 19 10 4 18 55 3 18 40 3 18 25 3 18 09 17 53 3 17 37 3 2 17 s. 20

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G Rises h. m.

4:44 5:44 6:36 7:19 7:55 8:25 8:51 9:14 9:37 9:59 10:21 10:47 11:15 11:50

G Sets h. m.

1:54 2:50 E 3:51 E 4:55 E 6:00 E 7:03 E 8:05 D 9:05 D C 10:04 C 11:03 E

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Rises h. m.

Rise Key

Day of Week

Sa.

#

Set Key

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

Day of Month

Day of Year

Purchase these pages with times set to your zip code at MyLocalAlmanac.com.

B

G

G

Place Age

SCO

B OPH B SAG B SAG C SAG C CAP C AQU D AQU D

PSC

E

PSC

—

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E

ARI

E TAU E TAU E TAU E GEM E GEM E CAN D LEO D SEX C LEO C

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B

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B

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B

LIB

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Light = a

m.

27 28 29 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27

2011

JANUARY

I hear you, blithe new year, Ring out your laughter. -Abba Gooid wooison

Farmer's Calendar

'•r © jz +■• ^ S (U o o S

o >"> 03 m o 5

1

Sa.

2

B

3

M.

4

Tu. St. Elizabeth Ann Seton • New 0 • Eclipse © • dcfC

5

cold’s Twelfth Nigh, . ^ZloltZfire. ’ ™» 1 - Lion-tailed macaque bom, Woodland 7 . # Th. ^PtPO^ttP Park Zoo, Seattle, Wash., 1989 CTHphdtlC. Distaff r/XUfT Movie “Edison Kinetoscopic . Fr. Day * O vk * Record of a Sneeze” made, 1894 L lurries Q gr. elong. 15,000+ troops began aid during require Sa. + (47° west) • multiday ice storm, Ont./Que., 1998

6 7

8

Oates, Feasts, Fasts, Aspects, Tide Heights New Year’s nAi,. vumn Baseball player Hank J 10.7 Day • Holy Mine • Greenberg bom, 1911 # i 9.1 (£runslow«(5$([ •

• Tides

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d AT Q) * (5Bd • @ PERIHELION * Tides | g

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Snow’s sporadic,

2

but the

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9

B

10

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Monday • d apo. • d'UC • d&G •

11

Tu.

Sir Edmund Hillary (first to summit Mt. Everest) died, 2008

12 W.

1st i§>.

•

furries.

{94

{^9 Dogsledders

f8 When the wine is in, the wit is out. • Tides |

9

mush through

13

Th.

Sr A// in the Family made f 8.9 !)t. Hilary . television debut, 1971 • Tides {8 0

slop

14

Fr.

Deadly avalanche near Park City, Utah, 2005 • Tides | ^ ^

and

15

Sa.

-54° to 49°F in 24 hours, Loma, Mont., 1972 • Tides | g"^

slush.

af.

17

B M.

18

Tu.

211-lb. striped marlin caught, Red Hill, Hawaii, 1996

19

W.

Wolf d) • T(/e is like the Moon, now dark, now full.

20

Th.

21

Fr.

• Tides | j(d winter ’S (v at Pittsburgh Steelers won their T , J11.6 no ki perig. • third Super Bowl, 1979 * 1 ldes l — Si Vinf.flnt (7 ON Philosopher Sir Francis J 10.7 quitter! Nt. Vincent • (X EQ.• Bacon bom, 1561 • 111.6 0 s. xX ziUm Composer Samuel J 10.9 Storms 3rt) at. tlCp. • Barber died, 1981 * I 11.3 Soviet satellite Cosmos 954 crashed in , f 11.0 are N.W.T., leaking radioactive waste, 1978 * 1 es \ 10.8 Conversion ol Paul. db.

bitter— • j ^'g this

JFK sworn in as 35th U.S. president, 1961

to

d rr • (59d • Kansas became 34th state, 1861

O

^ vk A1 00

_/nC? l_ vL

* O

*

Two-day storm brought 11" f 10.1 snow, Birmingham, Ala., 1936 * I 8.7

There is no pillow so soft as a clear conscience. • |

^

,

bliry us!

■ Why is it that weather, and its associated hardships, should make liars of so many other¬ wise honest men and women? For certainly there can be no doubt of the effect: The worse, the more adverse, conditions become, the more irresistible is the force with which they push us to mendacity. A snowfall of 4 inches gets reported as half a foot. A thermometer reading of -13°F, in the telling, is rounded to -20°F. I myself have not been deaf to the weather’s call to false¬ hood, even in a life dedicated to the earnest upholding of truthfulness in all things. A few years ago, an early winter storm knocked out the electric power in this vicinity for days. It was the longest outage that we’ve had in years. At this place, we were com¬ paratively lucky. The power was out for 4 days. Well, not exactly. To be sure, 4 days is the length of the ordeal as I have since reported it. But if I consult the record, I find that the power failed in the middle of a Sun¬ day night and was restored late Wednesday afternoon. That’s no walk in the park, but it’s tough to make an honest 4 days out of it. Two and three quar¬ ters would be more factual. No matter: Four days it is and will forever be. So easily is the iron of fact led astray by the magnet of narrative necessity as it con¬ cerns the weather.

Listen to the Farmer's Calendar at Almanac.com.

119

A

R

FEBRUARY

— —

I

Kill | '- N

The

Second

Month

•

2011

SKY WATCH ☆ Mars is in conjunction with the Sun on the 4th and invisible. It will remain

dim and on the Sun’s side of the sky until December. Jupiter, now lower at nightfall but still conspicuous, is near the Moon on the 6th. Saturn, its rings not as edgewise as last year, rises at 10:30 p.m. on the 1st and 8:30 p.m. at month’s end, in Virgo, brightening from magnitude 0.7 to 0.5. It stands to the left of the Moon on the 20th. At least 30x magnification is needed to observe the rings. Meanwhile in the predawn sky, Venus, in Sagittarius, hovers at the right of Pluto early in the month and floats to the left of the crescent Moon on the 28th. Still striking, the morning star is noticeably losing height and dazzle. # €

O 3

New Moon First Quarter Full Moon Last Quarter

2nd 11th 18th 24th

day day day day

21st 2nd 3rd 18th

hour hour hour hour

31st 18th 36th 26th

minute minute minute minute

All times are given in Eastern Standard Time.

1

33

2

34

3

35

4

36

5

Tu. W. Th. Fr. Sa.

37

6

B

38

43

M. 8 Tu. 9 W. 10 Th. 11 Fr. 12 Sa.

44

13

45

14

46

15

47

16

48

17

49

18

50

E

4:57

6:56

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6:55 6:54

m.

m.

B

9 59

2

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4:59

B

10 03

2

16

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5:00

B

10 05

2

D

5:01

B

10 07

6:53

D

5:03

B

6:52

D

6:51

&

h.

Sun Declination Fast of Sun O

High Tide Times Boston

1

c Rises h. m.

Set Key

6:58

Length of Day

&

Rise Key

Sets h. m.

Set Key

32

Rises h. m.

Rise Key

Day of Week

Day of Month

Day of Year

Purchase these pages with times set to your zip code at MyLocalAlmanac.com.

• fmSS 1 A flash followed by more talk. On the XOttT ACi(7 North West Company merged with of sun, day of the Town Meeting Storm, OV + • Ot_vk • Hudson’s Bay Company, 1821 3rt) in lUnt • • ( fL6 a splash we got 2 feet of snow, high Quarrels would not last long Tides I ^ of rain: winds, and near-zero visibility. if the wrongs were all on one side. ‘ l 8.6 In other words, conditions not Washington, D.C., residents allowed jjjes J 9.3 Is it to vote in presidential elections, 1961 l 8.8 unlike Town Meeting itself. In /ttf/? X Racehorse f 9.3 spring a way, we got two Town Meet¬ O + • Vstat. • Secretariat born, 1970 * l 9.0 again ? ings that year instead of one. (3^G • Oklahoma! premiered on Broadway, 1943 -Ludwig Tieck

Listen to the Farmer’s Calendar at Almanac.com.

123

point to Earth of 2011. It rises at sunset and is visible at magnitude 0.4 all night long as the sole naked-eye planet. Jupiter does the opposite, reaching conjunction behind the Sun on the 6th. It joins Uranus, Mercury, Mars, Venus, and the Moon, all behind the Sun on the 30th and bunched up in Pisces. From far southern locations, such as Miami, this striking gathering may be glimpsed very low in the east, 40 minutes before sunrise. From farther south, below the equator, this group is higher and easier to see. # € O 3

3rd 11th 17th 24th

New Moon First Quarter Full Moon Last Quarter

day day day day

10th 8th 22nd 22nd

hour hour hour hour

32nd 5 th 44th 47th

minute minute minute minute

All times are given in Eastern Daylight Time.

91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99

1 2

3 4 5 6

7 8

9

100 101 102

10 11 12

103 104 105 106 107 108 109

13 14 15 16 17 18 19

110 20 111 21 112 22

113 114 115 116 117 118 119

23 24 25 26 27 28 29 120 30

124

Day of Week

Day of Month

Purchase these pages with times set to your zip code at MyLocalAimanac.com. Day of Year

a)>ozmr>o

SKY WATCH TV Saturn arrives at opposition on the night of the 3rd, when it is at its closest

Fr. Sa. B M. Tu. W. Th. Fr. Sa. B M. Tu. W. Th. Fr. Sa. B M. Tu. W. Th. Fr. Sa. B M. Tu. W. Th. Fr. Sa.

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9

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10 11 12

D LEO D LEO C

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13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22

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a m.

2011

April is in:

Farmer’s Calendar

New loves begin! -John Addington Symonds

© £ o>-> ■*A) o S° o >

Dates, Feasts, Fasts, Aspects, Tide Heights

1

Fr.

All Fools’ • G eq * Nunavut territory created,

2

Sa.

(Xatapo.

1999

Weather

• j 9^6 Fools

• dC?G* d&G»Tides{9.8

schuss

in, B New •. dcfS • dYC • b *T 8 • {9_6 /X/T’ John Tyler first V.P. to take T-, / 10.0 then 4 M. O + • over after a president died, 1841 * 1 es 1 9.6 1 10.0 a 5 Tu. Teeth placed before the tongue give good advice. • Tides 1 9.4 \ Mormon leader Brigham Young 110.1 6 W. C* A w • married last wife (27th), 1868 * 1 9.3 breather: We 7 Th. Circus owner P. T. Bamum died, 1891 • Tides |

3

8

Fr.

9

Sa.

(j rides Fire tornadoes, 2nd day, , 1 9.9 high • San Luis Obispo, Calif., 1926 * lldes \ 8.8 , oo ft in j n ct-.-t. Dust storm, (X AT Q • 9 inf. 0 • E stat.« Colo./Wyo., 1895

don’t mean

in lent • d$ V- •Tides {ll He who is shipwrecked the second time, —• , j 9.7 can not lay the blame on Neptune. * 1 es 1 8.7 Civil War First baseball game in indoor f 9.7 began, 1861 * stadium, Houston, Tex., 1965 * f. 9.0 f99 U.S. president Thomas Jefferson bom, 1743 • {

B 5tfi

10

11 M. 12 Tu. 13 W. 14 Th. 15

Fr.

16

Sa.

17

B

a short one, either! Daffodils

51 -lb. 4-oz. monkfish caught, T. , f 10.2 Stellwagen Bank, Mass., 2008 * licles t 10.2 (7 on Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel f 10.6 Vv eq. • opened, Va.-Delmarva Penin., 1964 * \ 10.9

and rippling

Agricultural College founded, Guelph, Ont., 1874 • 119'9

rills

$alm ££>unbap • X O • G petrig • dJ?G arrive [112 No killing frost after martins. • Tides j together!

18 M.

19 Tu. First day of Passover

Even

20 W.

chills

• d 9 Cf • fDaL° 2006ad’ • {1 n Upset swamp rabbit approached U.S. president 1 12.2 Carter’s fishing boat. Plains, Ga., 1979 * 1 10.8

21 Th. Maundy Thursday • G low* G at Q •

Jac‘nt°’ and 11.3

22

Fr.

23 24

Sa.

ew • fejj Franconia Notch, N.H., 2003 * 1 — favorite early wildflowers. This Haymarket Affair, Chicago, Ill., 1886 • j y3 explanation single, tiny, four-petal bloom ™ C7 Rides Every wind /10.3 for appears in lawns, fields, and Cmco de Mayo • HIGH • has its weather • { 9.2 barrens before the leaves on the (f at C • Psychiatrist Sigmund Freud bom, 1856 • j this trees have grown and spread to 5 (G27°EwestG)' • 10" snow, Rochester, N.Y., 1989 • { ^ wintry shade them. Bluets spread over 3rd Sunday of Easter • Kamloops',* b.cm 906 precipitation! the ground in patches. In color, they are commonly a true, pure, St. Gregory of Nazisms. That's light blue that, as the densely d d 7-f • Cranberries in bud now. • Tides j ' better! crowded little flowers cover Siamese twins Chang f 10.0 the ground in their drifts, gives dV 4 •andEng Bunker bom, 1811 • Three * { 9.7 Wetter, /7 on Montreal chosen as site for r,... f 10.0 but them a look almost as though LL eq. • 1976 Summer Olympics, 1970 * 1 ^ * l 10.2 A man who always wears his best s : t _ / 10.1 cuddvnlv someone had broken a mirror on kimono has no Sunday clothes. * SamtS * l 10.8 Suddenly the grass and left its bright frag¬ • Physicist Gabriel Daniel Fahrenheit bom, 1686 tropic! ments to reflect the mild spring Heat’s sky. After the long winter, there 4tt) of CctStfct • G PERIG. • Tides { n 7 is no sight that is viewed more Grand League of the American Horseshoe Pitchers f 10.6 the Association organized, Kansas City, Kans., 1914 * \ 12.0 gratefully. XmaI Full If you have the Moon, f 10.6 topic Or it would be so, save for the WSaK • piovver • ignore the stars. # l 12.1 rr runs Violent storm wrecked several Ti , J 10.5 of other half of nature’s springtime LL low • vessels, Lake Michigan, 1894 s l — gift to those who would enjoy every St. Ounslan .