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Astronomical Society of the Pacific

Now is a great opportunity to see Saturn and its famous rings. Early spring is the best time to see Saturn, as it comes into "opposition" on April 3, 2011. Opposition is when a planet and the Sun are on opposite sides of the Earth. So when the Sun sets, the planet rises and is up all night long.

Highlights in the Sky
Your 2011 Pocket Almanac

Throughout spring and summer 2011, from our Earthly viewpoint Saturn will be in the evening sky, edging closer toward the Sun until it lies on the far side of the Sun and sets with it (in "conjunction") on October 13, 2011. Before that happens, be sure to get out and take a peek through a telescope. The rings are at a slight angle of just 8.7 degrees, but it still is an unforgettable sight.

Reach for the Stars!
Since beginning in February 1889, the ASP has been faithfully serving people interested in astronomy through scientific inquiry, research, community outreach and science education. Founders include famous astronomers such as Edwin Hubble. The ASP offers amateurs as well as professional astronomers the opportunity to discover and search the night skies together. If you are already an ASP supporter/member, thank you! And please share this almanac with your friends, families and business associates. Introduce them to the ASP. If you are new to the ASP, then take the time to learn more about this unique Society. You will be glad you did! Become a supporter of the ASP with a donation, as a member and as a volunteer. Be sure to visit www.astrosociety.org As a Society member, you will have the unique opportunity to be part of an astronomy community with interests that range from beginner to professional. You will have a chance to network, meet and listen to renowned astrophysicists, professors and astronauts. The wide array and in-depth scientific educational opportunities and astronomy knowledge gained touches young and old alike. Be part of the ASP mission of advancing science literacy through astronomy.

Share the excitement of the night sky with us!
Join an ASP-coordinated local astronomy club. To find out about clubs and free events in your area and for more information, visit the ASP's NightSkyNetwork.org The NASA Night Sky Network is just one of the many ways to begin to understand the scope of interesting people the ASP reaches through its dynamic, scientific and educational programs and award winning publications.

Sunspot or Sunflower?
Here comes the Sun! We are approaching a solar maximum, so we have an increase in sunspots to look forward to in the coming years. This celestial highlight is featured in this image, showing a sunspot larger than Earth. The smallest details visible in this super highresolution image of the Sun are about 40 miles across.
With regard to observing the Sun, take caution: do not look at the Sun directly or through optical devices without filtering that is certified as safe. Astronomy clubs, planetariums, or local science centers can help with safe solar observing.

Come stargaze with us, as we connect people to science. Thank you for your support!
Astronomical Society of the Pacific (ASP) 390 Ashton Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94112 www.astrosociety.org · 415-337-1100 membership@astrosociety.org development@astrosociety.org

Advancing science literacy through astronomy

Moon Phases or Moon Shine?

(d=date, h=hour, m=minute, in Universal Time)

2011 Phases of the Moon
Full Moon
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec d 19 18 19 18 17 15 15 13 12 12 10 10 h 21 8 18 2 11 20 6 18 9 2 20 14

As the Earth orbits the Sun, the Moon orbits the Earth, and the changing relative positions of these three bodies give us an ever-changing view of our nearest neighbor in space, producing moon phases. Fortunately, it's like a precisely choreographed ballet, and we can easily predict the new moon, full moon, quarter moons, and everything in between. Join a Night Sky Network amateur astronomy club and observe the Moon yourself. Visit the ASP-coordinated NightSkyNetwork.org to find a club near you.

New Moon
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec d 4 3 4 3 3 1 1 30 29 27 26 25 24 h 9 2 20 14 6 21 8 18 3 11 19 6 18 m 03 31 46 32 51 03 54 40 04 09 56 10 06

First Quarter
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec d 12 11 12 11 10 9 8 6 4 4 2 2 h 11 7 23 12 20 2 6 11 17 3 16 9 m 31 18 45 05 33 11 29 08 39 15 38 52

Last Quarter
m 21 36 10 44 09 14 40 57 27 06 16 36 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec d 26 24 26 25 24 23 23 21 20 20 18 18 h 12 23 12 2 18 11 5 21 13 3 15 0 m 57 26 07 47 52 48 02 54 39 30 09 48

Comet Dust ~ Look up...

Meteor Showers in 2011
Like a car driving through a cloud of dust blown across the road, the Earth crosses the orbits of various comets throughout the year. And like the car's windshield, the earth's atmosphere gets hit by bits of dust and debris left in the cometary orbit. The dates listed below are the night and early morning of the peaks of the best meteor showers of the year!
January 34 April 2122 July 2830 August 1213 October 2122 November 1718 December 1314 Quadrantids Lyrids Delta Aquarids/Capricornids Perseids Orionids Leonids Geminids

Tilted Earth Seasons to enjoy!
If the Earth sat perfectly upright in its orbit (axis perpendicular to its orbit), we would not have seasons. However, Earth being tipped at an angle of 23 degrees gives us more hours of daylight around June and fewer around December (in the Northern Hemisphere). The midpoints, where the whole Earth gets 12 hours of daylight, are called the equinoxes. The days when we are tilted most toward the Sun or away from the Sun, and thus have the most or fewest hours of daylight, are called the solstices.
Equinoxes: March 20, 2011 (23:21 UT), and September 23, 2011 (9:04 UT) Solstices: June 21, 2011 (17:16 UT), and December 22, 2011 (5:30 UT = 9:30 pm PT on Dec. 21)
NORTH Perpendicular CELESTIAL to orbit POLE CELESTIAL EQUATOR Orbit direction ECLIPTIC
Axial tilt or Obliquity

Rotation Axis

The Earth's orbit is nearly a perfect circle, but not quite. That slight eccentricity means that as we orbit the Sun, we move closer and farther away. But this variation in distance is not what causes seasons -- the Earth's axial tilt is the cause. The tilt results in seasonal variation in the number of daylight hours, as well as the varying intensity of sunlight felt on Earth throughout the year.
Perihelion (the day the Earth is closest to the Sun, at 147.5 million km): January 3, 2011 Aphelion (the day the Earth is farthest from the Sun: at 152.6 million km): July 4, 2011

SOUTH CELESTIAL POLE