Astronomical Calendar 2024 – printed

Today, September 23, is the equinox: the start of the next quarter of the seasonal year on our planet.

Here is one of the 8 illustrations in the “Sun and Seasons” section of Astronomical Calendar 2023, suggesting how the Sun’s daily arc across the sky will get lower (for us in the northern hemisphere).

The moment in this day when the Sun’s center appeared to cross Earth’s equatorial plane into the southern half of the celestial sphere was 6:50 Universal Time. This for clocks, still shifted to false “summer” time, is called in Europe 5:50 and in North America 0:50. I think I’ve got this right; the f***ing clock-shift law never ceases to booby-trap my non-arithmetical mind.

And we look forward to next year

Astronomical Calendar 2024 is now available as a printed book as well as a downloadable e-book. This page gives you a peek inside the book, so that you can decide whether to order it.

Vanity makes me quote some of the words of Daniel Cummings, of Croton-on-Hudson, NY:

“For 2024 the 143-page Astronomical Calendar is now available for purchase as a printed book. All the same charts and highly detailed information appear in both digital PDF and printed, bound book versions, rendered in crisp text and deep colours. You will reach for these references throughout the whole year!

“The ebook PDF format allows you to zoom in and examine the extensive and detailed charts like never before. All graphics are rendered with vector precision – so the more you zoom, the more you see! Additionally, you can carry it with you for reference on a tablet or phone.

“The Astronomical Calendar carries the whole year’s events in the night sky. Monthly spreads with sky domes list over 500 events; there are sections on the Sun and seasons, the Moon, eclipses, occultations, each planet, asteroids, meteor showers; it contains a glossary of terms, and full, lucid explanations. There are many sky scenes, charts, and diagrams in full color, including illuminating 3-D views of space.

“This is the 2nd year of the revival of a famous book that was published for more than 40 years, then continued as an electronic document; now it is both electronic and printed.”

Space rocks fished down to Earth

Tomorrow a sample of asteroid material, collected by NASA’s Osiris-Rex mission, will float down by parachute into Utah. More evidence for the material from which our solar system was formed.

__________

This weblog maintains its right to be about astronomy or anything under the sun.

ILLUSTRATIONS in these posts are made with precision but have to be inserted in another format.  You may be able to enlarge them on your monitor.  One way: right-click, and choose “View image” or “Open image in new tab”, then enlarge.  Or choose “Copy image”, then put it on your desktop, then open it.  On an iPad or phone, use the finger gesture that enlarges (spreading with two fingers, or tapping and dragging with three fingers).  Other methods have been suggested, such as dragging the image to the desktop and opening it in other ways.

Sometimes I make improvements or corrections to a post after publishing  it.  If you click on the title, rather than on ‘Read more’, I think you are sure to see the latest version.  Or you can click ‘Refresh’ to get the latest version.