Astronomy Day

Astronomy Day
Status Active
Genre Astronomy-related events and competitions
Date(s) Saturday between mid-April and mid-May on or just before the first quarter moon
Frequency Bi-annually
Country United States
Participants Astronomers and astronomy enthusiasts

Astronomy Day is an annual event in the United States intended to provide a means of interaction between the general public and various astronomy enthusiasts, groups and professionals.

History

This event was started in 1973 by Doug Berger, the president of the Astronomical Association of Northern California. His intent was to set up various telescopes in busy urban locations so that passersby could enjoys views of the heavens. Since then the event has expanded and is now sponsored by a number of organizations associated with astronomy.[1]

Astronomy Day also forms part of National Astronomy Week, which begins on the preceding Monday.

Originally, Astronomy Day occurred on a Saturday between mid-April and mid-May, and was scheduled so as to occur at or close to the first quarter Moon. In 2007, an autumn rendition of Astronomy Day was added. It was scheduled to occur on a Saturday between mid-September and mid-October so as to be on or close to the first quarter Moon.

Events

The lunar influence on the schedule means that the events happen on a different date each year, rather than set calendar dates. The table below shows the dates for Astronomy Day:

Timeline of Astronomy Day events
Year Season Astronomy Day First Quarter Moon
2005 Spring April 16 April 16
2006 Spring May 6 May 5
2007 Spring April 21 April 24
2008 Spring May 10 May 12
2009 Spring May 2 May 1
2010 Spring April 24 April 21
Fall October 16 October 14
2011 Spring May 7 May 10
Fall October 1 October 3
2012 Spring April 28 April 30
Fall October 20 October 21
2013 Spring April 20 April 18
Fall October 13 October 11
2014 Spring May 10 May 7
Fall October 4 October 1
2015 Spring April 25 April 25
  indicates upcoming event

See also

Environment
Events
Biology

External links

References

  1. ↑ Editors of Sky and Telescope;"Celebrate Astronomy Day". Sky And Telescope:April 28, 2012
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Thursday, March 31, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.