* Sat., Feb. 3, 4:12 p.m. EST / 21:12 UTC - Actual Astronomical Cross-Quarter Day (First actual Astronomical Cross-Quarter Day of year; mid-way point in Winter season: ~Feb. 4).
Traditional Cross-Quarter Day.

* Tue., March 20, 12:15 p.m. EDT / 16:15 UTC - Vernal Equinox - Season of Spring begins in Earth's Northern Hemisphere: beginning of New Year (solar calendar) in Afghanistan and Iran. (~March 20)

* Tue., May 1 - Traditional Astronomical Cross-Quarter Day Beltaine, better known as May Day - Second traditional Astronomical Cross-Quarter Day of year; approximate mid-way point in Spring season (May 1).

* Sat., May 5, 9:13 a.m. EDT / 13:13 UTC - Actual Astronomical Cross-Quarter Day Beltaine, better known as May Day - Second traditional Astronomical Cross-Quarter Day of year; mid-way point in Spring season (~May 5-6).
Traditional Cross-Quarter Day.

* Thur., June 21, 6:07 a.m. EDT / 10:07 UTC - Summer Solstice - Season of Summer begins in Earth's Northern Hemisphere (~June 21).
Also see 1985-1991: Summer "Solstice Day," Annual Free Day at Buhl Planetarium.

* Wed., Aug. 1 - Astronomical Mid-Point of Summer - Traditional Astronomical Cross-Quarter Day, also known as “Lammas” (in the United Kingdom) and “Lughnassad” (in Ireland). Considered approximate date of First Harvest (third traditional cross-quarter day of the year), approximately between the Midsummer Solstice and the Autumnal Equinox (July 31 Eve - Aug. 1).

* Tue., Aug. 7, 9:27 a.m. EDT / 13:27 UTC - Astronomical Mid-Point of Summer - Actual Astronomical Cross-Quarter Day (halfway between the June Solstice and September Equinox: ~Aug. 6 to 7).
Traditional Cross-Quarter Day.

* Sat., Sept. 22 - Falls Prevention Awareness Day (First day of Fall: ~Sept. 22-23).

* Sat., Sept. 22, 9:54 p.m. EDT / Sept. 23, 1:54 UTC - Autumnal Equinox - Season of Autumn begins in Earth's Northern Hemisphere. (~Sept. 22)
Also see: Harvest Moon.

* Wed., Oct. 31 / Thur., Nov. 1 / Fri., Nov. 2 - Traditional Astronomical Cross-Quarter Day Samhain or "All-Hallowsmas", better known as Halloween (Oct. 31 - "All Hallows Eve"), All-Saints Day (Nov. 1), All-Souls Day (Nov. 2) (fourth and last traditional cross-quarter day of year).

* Wed., Nov. 7, 6:18 a.m. EST / 11:18 UTC - Actual Astronomical Cross-Quarter Day (fourth and last actual cross-quarter day of the year: ~Nov. 6-7).
Traditional Cross-Quarter Day.

* Fri., Dec. 21 - Homeless Persons' Memorial Day. (First day of Winter; longest night of the year: ~Dec. 21)

* Fri., Dec. 21, 5:23 p.m. EST / 22:23 UTC - Winter Solstice - Season of Winter begins in Earth's Northern Hemisphere. (~Dec. 21-22)
Also see: "The Stars of Winter" and "The Star of Bethlehem" Planetarium Sky Dramas (web sites include entire planetarium show scripts), performed each Winter in the Theater of the Stars of Pittsburgh's original Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science.

Byzantine Year 7527 Begins Sept. 14.
Jewish Year (A.M.) 5779 Begins at Sunset, Sept. 10.
Chinese Year of the Earth Dog 4716 Begins Feb. 16.
Roman A.U.C. (Dates from the founding of the City of Rome) Year 2771 Begins Jan. 14.
Nabonassar Year 2767 Begins April 23.
Japanese (Heisei) Year 2678 - Period or Era 30 Begins January 1.
Grecian Year (Selucidae) 2330 Begins Sept. 14 (or Oct. 14).
Indian Year (Saka) 1940 Begins March 22.
Diocletian Era (Era of the Martyrs) Year 1735 Begins Sept. 11.
Islamic (Hegira) Year 1440 Begins at first viewing of lunar crescent (New Moon) on evening of Sept. 11.

* Sun., 2017 Dec. 31 - Make Up Your Mind Day. (Dec. 31)

* Sun., 2017 Dec. 31 - Eve of New Year's Day (Traditional). (Dec. 31)

* Sun., 2017 Dec. 31, 6:59:60 p.m. EST / 23:59:60 UTC - Positive 'Leap Second' added to the civil time scale, to help keep clocks synchronized with the slowing rotation rate of the Earth. (Periodically: last additional second of last minute of June 30 and / or December 31)

* Sun., 2017 Dec. 31, 7:00:00 p.m. EST / 2018 Jan. 1, 00:00:00 UTC - Marks the beginning of the New Year by the Coordinated Universal Time scale, the time scale used by many scientists. (Dec. 31)

* Mon., Jan. 1 - Feast of the Circumcision of Christ - Eighth day of the 12 days of Christmas: Dec. 25 to Jan. 5. During the Gregorian Calendar reform, Pope Gregory XIII, chose the Feast of the Circumcision of Christ as the beginning of the New Year in the Roman Catholic Church's Liturgical Year; previously, the Feast of the Annunciation on March 25 (also the Vernal Equinox in the "original" Julian Calendar adopted by the second king of Rome, Numa Pompilius, in the 7th century B.C.) had been considered the beginning of the New Year. (Jan. 1)

* Mon., Jan. 1 - Last day of Kwanzaa - Week-long holiday observance honoring African-American heritage. (Dec. 26 to Jan. 1)

* Mon., Jan. 1 (1863) - Anniversary: Emancipation Proclamation issued by U.S. President Abraham Lincoln during the American Civil War, which decreed that slaves in the rebellious states are free forever. (Jan. 1)

* Mon., Jan. 1 - First Day Hikes in America’s State Parks. (Jan. 1)

* Mon., Jan. 1, 12:00:00 Midnight (00:00:00) Prevailing Local Time - For Eastern Standard Time (EST) Zone in North America: 12:00:00 Midnight EST / 5:00:00 Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) which correlates with 12:00:00 Midnight EST - New Year's Day: New Calendar Year begins. (Jan. 1)

* Mon., Jan. 1, 5:00 p.m. EST / 22:00 UTC - Moon at perigee - Distance to Earth: 221,559 statute miles / 356,565 kilometers.
Large tides predicted along ocean coastlines, due to proximity to the time of a Full Moon, this month a so-called "Super-Moon."

* Mon., Jan. 1, 9:24 p.m. EST / Jan. 2, 2:24 UTC - Primary Moon Phase: Full Moon (Wolf Moon).
Closest to Earth, and largest in appearance, Full Moon of 2018; a so-called "Super-Moon."

* Wed., Jan. 3 - U.S. Congress begins second session of 115th Congress, U.S. Capitol Building, Washington DC. (Jan. 3)

* Wed., Jan. 3, 1:00 a.m. EST / 6:00 UTC - Earth at perihelion (closest Earth approach to the Sun in New Year): 91,401,982 statute miles / 147,097,233 kilometers. (Jan. 2 to 4)

* Wed., Jan. 3, 2:37 p.m. EST / 19:37 UTC - Moon passes very close to Beehive Open Star Cluster, as viewed from Earth.

* Wed., Jan. 3, 4:00 p.m. EST / 21:00 UTC - (Best viewing: Midnight to Dawn) - Peak of Quadrantid Meteor Shower. (Jan. 3 to 4)

* Thur., Jan. 4 - Latest time of sunrise, for the year, for locales (such as Pittsburgh) at or near +40 North Latitude. (Jan. 4)

* Thur., Jan. 4, 9:34 p.m. EST / Jan. 5, 2:34 UTC - Double-shadow (shadows of 2 Galilean Moons) transit on Jupiter; visible, with difficulty, through telescope after sunset or before sunrise.

* Fri., Jan. 5 - National Bird Day. (Jan. 5)

* Fri., Jan. 5 - National Returns Day - When the most UPS returns packages are sent back to retailers. (Jan. 5)

* Fri., Jan. 5, 3:00 a.m. EST / 8:00 UTC - Star Regulus 0.9 degree south of the Moon; occultation: Alaska, northern Canada, extreme eastern portion of Russia, Greenland, Iceland, Svalbard (Norway), most of Europe, northwestern portion of Africa.

* Fri., Jan. 5, Evening - "12th Night" of Christmas; end of the 12 days of Christmas, which began on Christmas Day. (Jan. 5)

* Jan. 6 to 15 - CITIZEN SCIENCE: Monthly Globe at Night campaign, to raise public awareness of the impact of light pollution by encouraging everyone everywhere to measure local levels of night sky brightness and contribute observations on-line to a world map.

* Sat., Jan. 6 - Feast of the Epiphany; the day after the "12th Night" of Christmas. Tradition celebrates Epiphany as day the Magi arrived in Bethlehem to present gifts to the Christ child. (Jan. 6)

* Sat., Jan. 6, 11:00 p.m. EST / Jan. 7, 4:00 UTC - Mars 0.2 degree south of Jupiter.

* Sun., Jan. 7 - Orthodox Christmas - As determined by Julian Calendar. (Jan. 7)

* Jan. 7 to 13 - Winter Driving Awareness Week.

* Mon., Jan. 8 (1851), 2:00 a.m. Paris Time - Earth's Rotation Day - Anniversary: French physicist Jean Leon Foucault develops a simple device to finally demonstrate and prove that the Earth rotates on its axis: Foucault Pendulum. He demonstrated the Foucault Pendulum, before scientists at the Paris Observatory, on 1851 February 3.
Near the end of his life, Jean Leon Foucault also developed the Siderostat-type Refractor Telescope. (Jan. 8)

* Mon., Jan. 8 (1918) - Mount Wilson Observatory Astronomer Harlow Shapley discovered true magnitude of Milky Way Galaxy and true location of Earth and our Solar System in the Milky Way Galaxy.
On 1941 November 19, Harvard College Observatory Director Harlow Shapley delivered the keynote address at the dedication for a rather unique 10-inch Siderostat-Type Refractor Telescope at Pittsburgh's original Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science. (Jan. 8)

* Mon., Jan. 8 - National Clean Off Your Desk Day. (2nd Monday of January)

* Mon., Jan. 8, 5:25 p.m. EST / 22:25 UTC - Primary Moon Phase: Last Quarter.

* Tue., Jan. 9 (1793) - First balloon flight in America. (Jan. 9)

* Tue., Jan. 9, 2:00 a.m. EST / 7:00 UTC - Venus at superior conjunction with the Sun (Venus not visible, even with a telescope).

* Wed., Jan. 10 (1920) - Founding of the League of Nations. (Jan. 10)

* Thur., Jan. 11 - National Human Trafficking Awareness Day. (Jan. 11)

* Thur., Jan. 11, 1:00 a.m. EST / 6:00 UTC - Jupiter 4 degrees south of the Moon.

* Thur., Jan. 11, 5:00 a.m. EST / 10:00 UTC - Mars 5 degrees south of the Moon.

* Thur., Jan. 11, 11:00 p.m. EST / Jan. 12, 4:00 UTC - Asteroid 4 Vesta 0.4 degree north of the Moon; occultation: southern Africa, Madagascar, Antarctica (France portion), southwestern portion of Australia, Tasmania.

* Fri., Jan. 12, 12:45 a.m. EST / 5:45 UTC - Double-shadow (shadows of 2 Galilean Moons) transit on Jupiter; visible, with difficulty, through telescope after sunset or before sunrise.

* Sat., Jan. 13 - New Year's Eve, according to the Julian Calendar. (Jan. 13)

* Sat., Jan. 13, 2:00 a.m. EST / 7:00 UTC - Mercury 0.6 degree south of Saturn.

* Sun., Jan. 14 - Beginning of the New Year, according to the Julian Calendar. (Jan. 14)

* Sun., Jan. 14, 9:00 p.m. EST / Jan. 15, 2:00 UTC - Saturn 3 degrees south of the Moon.

* Sun., Jan. 14, 9:00 p.m. EST / Jan. 15, 2:00 UTC - Moon at apogee - Distance from Earth: 252,565 statute miles / 406,464 kilometers.

* Mon., Jan. 15, 2:00 a.m. EST / 7:00 UTC - Mercury 3 degrees south of the Moon.

* Mon., Jan. 15 (1929) - Anniversary of the Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. (Observed - USA: Third Monday in January): Birth of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.. (Jan. 15)

* Mon., Jan. 15 (2001) - Anniversary of launch of Wikipedia, free-of-charge, on-line encyclopedia. (Jan. 15)

* Wed., Jan. 17 - Kid Inventors’ Day (K.I.D.), on January 17 in honor of the birth of famous inventor Benjamin Franklin, who invented the first swim flippers at the age of 12. (Jan. 17)

* Wed., Jan. 17, 9:17 p.m. EST / Jan. 18, 2:17 UTC - Primary Moon Phase: New Moon - Lunation # 1176.

* Fri., Jan. 19, 4:43 a.m. EST / 9:43 UTC - Double-shadow (shadows of 2 Galilean Moons) transit on Jupiter; visible, with difficulty, through telescope after sunset or before sunrise.

* Sat., Jan. 20, 3:30 a.m. EST / 20:30 UTC - Moon passes very close to Neptune, as viewed from Earth.

* Sun., Jan. 21 - Squirrel Appreciation Day. (Jan. 21)

* Jan. 22 to 28 - National Drug & Alcohol Facts Week. (4th week of January)

* Tue., Jan. 23 - Venus aphelion.

* Tue., Jan. 23, 11:01 p.m. EST / Jan. 25, 4:01 UTC - Moon passes close to Uranus, as viewed from Earth.

* Wed., Jan. 24 - National Compliment Day. (Jan. 24)

* Wed., Jan. 24, 5:20 p.m. EST / 22:20 UTC - Primary Moon Phase: First Quarter.

* Thur., Jan. 25 (1915) - First transcontinental telephone call. (Jan. 25)

* Thur., Jan. 25, 6:24 a.m. EST / 11:24 UTC - Mercury aphelion.

* Fri., Jan. 26 - Australia Day, commemorating the first landing in Australia by Captain Arthur Phillip. (Jan. 26)

* Sat., Jan. 27 - Holocaust Remembrance Day (UN). (Jan. 27)

* Sat., Jan. 27 (1967) - Anniversary of Apollo 1 fire; three astronauts perished: Gus Grissom, Ed White, Roger Chaffee. (Jan. 27)

* Sat., Jan. 27 (1926) - First public demonstration, in London, of a black-and-white, mechanical television system. (Jan. 27)

* Sat., Jan. 27, 6:00 a.m. EST / 11:00 UTC - Star Aldebaran 0.7 degree south of the Moon; occultation: Alaska, northwestern portion of North America, Mongolia, most of China, most of Russia, most of India, central portion of Asia.

* Jan. 28 to Feb. 3 - National Catholic Schools Week. (End of January / Beginning of February)

* Sun., Jan. 28 (1986) - Anniversary of STS Space Shuttle Challenger explosion; seven astronauts perished: Francis Scobee, Michael Smith, Elison Onizuka, Judith Resnik, Ronald McNair, Gregory Jarvis, Christa McAuliffe (Teacher-in-Space). (Jan. 28)
Viewed at Pittsburgh's original Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science (a.k.a. Buhl Science Center).

* Sun., Jan. 28 - Data Privacy Day. (Jan. 28)

* Mon., Jan. 29 - Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) Awareness Day. (Jan. 29)

* Mon., Jan. 29 - Puzzle Day. (Jan. 29)

* Mon., Jan. 29 - National Bubble-Wrap Appreciation Day, first used by IBM to safely ship computers in 1961. (Last Monday of January)

* Tue., Jan. 30, 5:00 a.m. EST / 10:00 UTC - Moon at perigee - Distance from Earth: 223,068 statute miles / 358,994 kilometers.
Large tides predicted along ocean coastlines, due to proximity to the time of a Full Moon, this month a so-called "Super-Moon."

* Wed., Jan. 31 (1958) - Anniversary of the first successful launch, by the USA, of an artificial satellite: Explorer 1. (Jan. 31)

* Wed., Jan. 31, 8:00 a.m. EST / 13:00 UTC - Asteroid Ceres at opposition (Ceres visible, with difficulty in a telescope, approx. local sunset to local sunrise).

* Wed., Jan. 31, 8:27 a.m. EST / 13:27 UTC - Full Moon: "Blue Moon", second Full Moon in a calendar month.
Another so-called "Super-Moon."

* Wed., Jan. 31, 8:29:49.6 a.m. EST / 13:29:49.6 UTC - Time of greatest eclipse for Total Eclipse of the Moon, visible over most of the Earth except most of South America, most of Africa, Western Europe, and Antarctica.
An Eclipse of the Moon / Lunar Eclipse is the type of eclipse completely safe to watch with telescopes, binoculars, and the naked-eyes.

* Jan. 28 to Feb. 3 - National Catholic Schools Week. (End of January / Beginning of February)

* Jan. 29 to Feb. 2 - Tax Identity Theft Awareness Week. (Last business week of January / first business week of February).

* Thur., Feb. 1 (2003) - Anniversary of STS Space Shuttle Columbia disintegration during re-entry; seven astronauts perished: Rick Husband, William McCool, David Brown, Kalpana Chawla, Michael Anderson, Laurel Clark, Ilan Ramon. (Feb. 1)

* Thur., Feb. 1 (1865) - National Freedom Day -Date in 1865 when U.S. President Abraham Lincoln signed a resolution proposing the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution prohibiting slavery. (Feb. 1)

* Thur., Feb. 1 - National Change Your Password Day!. (Feb. 1)

* Thur., Feb. 1 - World Read Aloud Day.

* Thur., Feb. 1, 2:00 p.m. EST / 19:00 UTC - Star Regulus 1.0 degree south of the Moon; occultation: northwestern portion of Alaska, majority of Japan, northeastern portion of China, eastern and northern portions of Russia, northern portion of Greenland, Scandinavia, Svalbard (island of Norway).

* Fri., Feb. 2 - Traditional Astronomical Cross-Quarter Day Imbolc, and also Candlemas, better known as Groundhog Day. (First traditional Astronomical Cross-Quarter Day of year; approximate mid-way point in Winter season: Feb. 1 Eve - Feb. 2).
(Groundhog Day at Gobler's Knob, Punxsutawney PA 15767, home of Punxsutawney Phil: - Sunrise: 7:25 a.m. EST / 12:25 UTC) .
Actual Cross-Quarter Day.

* Fri., Feb. 2 - Zodiacal Light visible, with difficulty after evening twilight (visible for up to an hour after dusk) in the western sky of the Northern Hemisphere, for the next two weeks. (February, March)

* Fri., Feb. 2 - National Wear Red Day - Go Red for Women movement to heart disease in women (American Heart Association). (First Friday in Feb.)

* Sat., Feb. 3 (1851) - Anniversary: Jean Leon Foucault first demonstrates, before scientists in the Meridian Room of the Paris Observatory, the Foucault Pendulum, which is a proof that the Earth rotates on its axis. He had invented the device on 1851 January 8.
Near the end of his life, Jean Leon Foucault also developed the Siderostat-type Refractor Telescope. (Feb. 3)

* Sat., Feb. 3, 4:12 p.m. EST / 21:12 UTC - Actual Astronomical Cross-Quarter Day (First actual Astronomical Cross-Quarter Day of year; mid-way point in Winter season: ~Feb. 4).
Traditional Cross-Quarter Day.

* Sun., Feb. 4 - World Cancer Day (WCD). (Feb. 4)

* Sun., Feb. 4 - Thank A Mailman Day. (Feb. 4)

* Sun., Feb. 4 - Lichun - Beginning of first Solar term (of 24 Solar terms in one year) of traditional East Asia calendars (begins when the Sun reaches the celestial longitude of 315° and ends when it reaches the longitude of 330°); also known as the start of Spring (Occurs each year around Feb. 4)

* Feb. 5 to 14, 8:00 to 10:00 p.m. Prevailing Local Time - CITIZEN SCIENCE: Globe at Night campaign, to raise public awareness of the impact of light pollution by encouraging everyone everywhere to measure local levels of night sky brightness and contribute observations on-line to a world map.

* Mon., Feb. 5 - National Weatherperson's Day - Birth of one of America's first weather observers, John Jeffries (picture): 1744 February 5. (Feb. 5)

* Tue., Feb. 6 - Safer Internet Day. [Second day (Tuesday) of the second (business) week of February]

* Tue., Feb. 6 - African American Coaches Day about the benefits of working with a personal or business coach. (First Tuesday in February)

* Wed., Feb. 7, 10:54 a.m. EST / 15:54 UTC - Primary Moon Phase: Last Quarter.

* Wed., Feb. 7, 3:00 p.m. EST / 20:00 UTC - Jupiter 4 degrees south of the Moon.

* Thur., Feb. 8 (1910) - Anniversary of founding of the Boy Scouts of America. (Feb. 8)

* Thur., Feb. 8, 8:25 a.m. EST / 13:25 UTC - Venus enters Zodiac Constellation Aquarius.

* Fri., Feb. 9, 12:00 Midnight EST / 5:00 UTC - Mars 4 degrees south of the Moon.

* Fri., Feb. 9, 2:00 a.m. EST / 7:00 UTC - As it appears in Earth's sky, the Moon moves close to Mars.

* Fri., Feb. 9, 8:00 a.m. EST / 13:00 UTC - Asteroid 4 Vesta 0.9 degree north of the Moon; occultation: most of the Antarctic Continent, Chatham Island (island of New Zealand).

* Sun., Feb. 11 (1732) - Anniversary of birth of first American President, George Washington, according to Julian Calendar (also known as "Old Style Calendar"), at use at that time; according to Gregorian Calendar, which we use today, George Washington's birthday occurred on Feb. 22. (Feb. 11)
See also: Washington's Birthday Observed / Presidents' Day * Washington's Birthday Actual (Julian Calendar) * Washington's Birthday Actual (Gregorian Calendar) * Lincoln's Birthday.

* Sun., Feb. 11 - National Inventors' Day, anniversary of the birth of the inventor Thomas Alva Edison. (Feb. 11)

* Sun., Feb. 11 - Autism Sunday / International Day of Prayer for Autism and Asperger Syndrome. (Second Sunday of February)

* Sun., Feb. 11, 9:00 a.m. EST / 14:00 UTC - Moon at apogee: 252,090 statute miles / 405,700 kilometers.

* Sun., Feb. 11, 10:00 a.m. EST / 15:00 UTC - Saturn 2 degrees south of the Moon.

* Mon., Feb. 12 (1809) - Anniversary of birth of 16th American President, Abraham Lincoln. (Feb. 12)
See also: Washington's Birthday Observed / Presidents' Day * Washington's Birthday Actual (Julian Calendar) * Washington's Birthday Actual (Gregorian Calendar) * Lincoln's Birthday.

* Mon., Feb. 12 (1809) - Anniversary of birth of English naturalist, Charles Darwin; Darwin Day. (Feb. 12)

* Mon., Feb. 12 - National Clean Out Your Computer Day. (Second Monday in February)

* Mon., Feb. 12, 2:41 p.m. EST / 19:41 UTC - As it appears in Earth's sky, the Moon moves very close to Dwarf Planet Pluto.

* Tue., Feb. 13 - World Radio Day (WRD). (Feb. 13)

* Tue., Feb. 13 - Shrove Tuesday / Fat Tuesday. (Day before Ash Wednesday)

* Wed., Feb. 14 - St. Valentine's Day. (Feb. 14)

* Wed., Feb. 14 - Library Lovers Day. (Feb. 14)

* Wed., Feb. 14 - International Book Giving Day. (Feb. 14)

* Wed., Feb. 14 - National Have a Heart Day to promote awareness of our food choices so as to get or maintain a healthy heart. (Feb. 14)

* Wed., Feb. 14 - National Organ Donor Day. (Feb. 14)

* Wed., Feb. 14 - Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent. (First Wednesday in Lent, 46 days before Easter Sunday)
Will Christians Agree to Fix the Date of Easter?

* Wed., Feb. 14, 6:00 a.m. EST / 11:00 UTC - Asteroid 3 Juno in conjunction with the Sun (Juno not visible, even with a telescope).

* Thur., Feb. 15 (1564) - Anniversary of the birth of Italian Astronomer Galileo Galilei. (Feb. 15)

* Thur., Feb. 15 (1820) - Susan B. Anthony Day - Anniversary of the birth of Susan B. Anthony and commemoration of women's suffrage in the United States. (Feb. 15)

* Thur., Feb. 15, 3:51:24.3 p.m. EST / 20:51:24.3 UTC - Time of greatest eclipse for A deep Partial Solar Eclipse visible in 2/3 of the Antarctic Continent, eastern portion of the Australian Continent, New Zealand, and much of the South American Continent: Link 1 *** Link 2
NEVER look directly at a Solar Eclipse or Eclipse of the Sun unless you have the training and proper equipment to do so safely!
SOLAR ECLIPSE / ECLIPSE OF THE SUN: TIPS FOR SAFE VIEWING

* Thur., Feb. 15, 4:05 p.m. EST / 21:05 UTC - Primary Moon Phase: New Moon - Lunation # 1177.

* Fri. through Mon., Feb. 16, 17, 18, 19 - CITIZEN SCIENCE: The Great Backyard Bird Count. (Presidents' Day holiday weekend, starting on Friday)

* Fri., Feb. 16 - Chinese New Year, based on a lunisolar calendar of which dates indicate both the moon phase and the time of the solar year. This marks the beginning of the Chinese Year of the Earth Dog: Link 1 *** Link 2.

* Sat., Feb. 17 - Random Acts Of Kindness Day. (Feb. 17)

* Sat., Feb. 17, 7:27 a.m. EST / 12:27 UTC - Mercury in superior conjunction with the Sun (Mercury not visible, even with a telescope).

* Feb. 18 to 24 - National Engineers Week. (Third or fourth week in February, which includes George Washington's actual birthday of February 22)

* Sun., Feb. 18 (1930) - Anniversary: Date of discovery of Planet Pluto (now designated Dwarf Planet 134340 Pluto) discovered by Clyde Tombaugh working at Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona. (Feb. 18)

* Sun., Feb. 18, 12:18 p.m. EST / 17:18 UTC - The Sun enters Zodiac Constellation Pisces.

* Feb. 19 to 23 - Fair Use / Fair Dealing Week, commissioned by the Association of Research Libraries. (Last full business week of February)

* Mon., Feb. 19 (1473) - Anniversary: Birth of famous Polish astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus. (Feb. 19)
A portrait of Nicolaus Copernicus, donated to Pittsburgh's original Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science by the Polish Arts League of Pittsburgh, hung on the Mezzanine of Buhl Planetarium.
Also see photograph of the inscription of the name "Copernicus," just under the outer planetarium dome of Pittsburgh's original Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science.

* Mon., Feb. 19 (1968) - 50th Anniversary: National premiere on National Educational Television (NET - predecessor of PBS, the Public Broadcasting Service) of landmark children's television program, Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, which included puppet character King Friday the 13th (originated at WQED-TV channel 13 in Pittsburgh). (Feb. 19)

* Tue., Feb. 20 (1491) - Anniversary: "Comet of 1491" which, until 2002, was considered the closest comet to ever approach the Earth. Today, this comet is not considered the closest comet to ever approach the Earth, due to the unreliability of data. (Feb. 20)
More information.

* Tue., Feb. 20 - Washington's Birthday Observed / Presidents' Day. (USA Federal Holiday: Third Monday in Feb.)
See also: Washington's Birthday Observed / Presidents' Day * Washington's Birthday Actual (Julian Calendar) * Washington's Birthday Actual (Gregorian Calendar) * Lincoln's Birthday.
Also see: The Astronomy President.

* Tue., Feb. 20, 5:57 a.m. EST / 10:57 UTC - As it appears in Earth's sky, Moon moves close to Uranus.

* Wed., Feb. 21 - International Mother Language Day. (Feb. 21)

* Wed., Feb. 21, 1:44 p.m. EST / 18:44 UTC - As it appears in Earth's sky, Venus and Neptune appear very close.

* Thur., Feb. 22 (1732) - Anniversary of birth of first American President, George Washington, according to Gregorian Calendar, which we use today; according to Julian Calendar (also known as "Old Style Calendar") at use at that time, George Washington's birthday occurred on Feb. 11. (Feb. 22)
See also: Washington's Birthday Observed / Presidents' Day * Washington's Birthday Actual (Julian Calendar) * Washington's Birthday Actual (Gregorian Calendar) * Lincoln's Birthday.

* Thur., Feb. 22 - Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day. (Thursday of National Engineering Week)

* Thur., Feb. 22 - Digital Learning Day. (4th Thursday in February)

* Feb. 23, 24, 25, - National Girl Scout Cookie Weekend. (Last weekend of February / first weekend of March)

* Fri., Feb. 23, 3:09 a.m. EST / 8:09 UTC - Primary Moon Phase: First Quarter.

* Fri., Feb. 23, 1:00 p.m. EST / 18:00 UTC - Star Aldebaran 0.7 degree south of the Moon; occultation: northeastern portion of North America, Greenland, Bermuda, majority of Europe, Svalbard (island of Norway), majority of Russia, Kazakhstan, western portion of Mongolia, northwestern portion of China.

* Sat., Feb. 24 (1914) - Anniversary of the concept of the Projection Planetarium. (Feb. 24)

* Feb. 25 to March 3 - Montessori Education Week. (Last week of February / first week of March)

* Sun., Feb. 25 - Equilux when considering Civil Twilight (Dawn before sunrise and Dusk after sunset) - When considering Civil Twilight, the day when daylight and darkness, both, have the same length of hours and minutes. Occurs twice each year, approximately 23 days before the Vernal Equinox and 23 days after the Autumnal Equinox. (Feb. 25-26, Oct. 15)

* Sun., Feb. 25, 7:47 p.m. EST / 12:47 UTC - As it appears in Earth's sky, Mercury and Neptune appear very close.

* Feb. 26 to March 3 - America Saves Week. (Last week of Feb. - Same week as Military Saves Week)

* Feb. 26 to March 3 - Military Saves Week. (Last week of Feb. - Same week as America Saves Week)

* Tue., Feb. 27 - International Polar Bear Day. (Feb. 27)

* Tue., Feb. 27 - World Spay Day. (Last Tuesday of every February)

* Tue., Feb. 27, 10:00 a.m. EST / 15:00 UTC - Moon at perigee: 226,136 statute miles / 363,932 kilometers.

* Tue., Feb. 27, 12:15 p.m. EST / 17:15 UTC - As it appears in Earth's sky, the Moon moves very close to the Beehive Open Star Cluster.

* Wed., Feb. 28 - Rare Disease Day. (Last day of February: Feb. 28 or 29)

* Thur., March 1 (1504 Feb. 29 to March 1) - Anniversary of total lunar eclipse used by Christopher Columbus, to scare the natives of Jamaica into providing food and other provisions for his sailors. (Feb. 29 to March 1)
Also see first recorded lunar eclipse in continental North America.

* Feb. 25 to March 3 - Montessori Education Week. (Last week of February / first week of March)

* Feb. 26 to March 3 - America Saves Week. (Last week of Feb.)

* Feb. 26 to March 3 - Military Saves Week.

* February 28, Sunset to March 1, Sunset (Sunset in Pittsburgh - Feb. 28: 6:10 p.m. EST / 23:10 UTC; March 1: 6:12 p.m. EST / 23:12 UTC) - Purim - Jewish holiday that commemorates the saving of the Jewish people from Haman, in the ancient Persian Empire, who was planning to kill all the Jews.

* Thur., March 1 (1504 Feb. 29 to March 1) - Anniversary of total lunar eclipse used by Christopher Columbus, to scare the natives of Jamaica into providing food and other provisions for his sailors. (Feb. 29 to March 1)
Also see first recorded lunar eclipse in continental North America.

* Thur., March 1 - Beginning of Meteorological Spring Season in Northern Hemisphere. (March 1)

* Thur., March 1 - Beginning of Autumn Season in Australia. (March 1)

* Thur., March 1 - St. David's Day. (March 1)

* Thur., March 1 - World Compliment Day. (March 1)

* Thur., March 1, 1:00 a.m. EST / 6:00 UTC - Star Regulus 0.9 degree south of the Moon; occultation: northern portion of North America, Greenland, Svalbard archipelago in the Arctic Ocean (Norway), extreme western portion of Europe, Azores Autonomous archipelago of Portugal, extreme northeastern portion of Russia.

* Thur., March 1, 7:51 p.m. EST / March 2, 0:51 UTC - Primary Moon Phase: Full Moon (Snow Moon).

* Fri., March 2 - Read Across America sponsored by the National Education Association to motivate children to read, in addition to helping them master basic skills. (Annual--on or near March 2, birthday of Dr. Seuss)

* Fri., March 2 - Employee Appreciation Day. (First Friday of March)

* Fri., March 2, 6:56 a.m. EST / 11:56 UTC - Mercury enters Constellation Pisces the Fishes, as it appears in the sky.

* Sat, March 3 - World Wildlife Day. (March 3)

* March 4 to 10 - Teen Tech Week.

* March 4 to 10 - National Consumer Protection Week. (First full week of March)

* Sun., March 4 (1681) - Pennsylvania Charter Day - William Penn received charter, for what became the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, from Great Britain's King Charles II on 1681 March 4. (March 4)

* Sun., March 4 - National Grammar Day. (March 4)

* Sun., March 4, 12:40 a.m. EST / 5:40 UTC - Mercury and Venus appear in the sky very close.

* Sun., March 4, 9:00 a.m. EST / 14:00 UTC - Neptune in conjunction with the Sun (Neptune not visible, even with a telescope).

* March 5 to 9 - Open Education Week. (First week of March)

* Mon., March 5 - Zodiacal Light visible, with difficulty, after evening twilight in the western sky of the Northern Hemisphere, for the next two weeks. (February, March)

* Mon., March 5 (1868) - Anniversary: Railway Air Brake patented by George Westinghouse in Pittsburgh. (March 5)

* Wed., March 7 - World Maths Day. (First Wednesday in March)

* Wed., March 7, 2:00 a.m. EST / 7:00 UTC - Jupiter 4 degrees south of the Moon.

* Wed., March 7, 7:01 a.m. EST / 12:01 UTC - As it appears in the sky, the Moon moves close to Jupiter.

* March 8 to 17, 8:00 to 10:00 p.m. Prevailing Local Time - CITIZEN SCIENCE - Annual Globe at Night campaign, to raise public awareness of the impact of light pollution by encouraging everyone everywhere to measure local levels of night sky brightness and contribute observations on-line to a world map.

* Thur., March 8 - International Women's Day. (March 8)

* Fri., March 9, 6:20 a.m. EST / 11:20 UTC - Primary Moon Phase: Last Quarter.

* Fri., March 9, 8:00 p.m. EST / March 10, 1:00 UTC - Mars 4 degrees south of the Moon.

* Sat., March 10 (1982) - 1982 date of first alignment of our Solar System's nine planets (including Pluto, which at that time was still considered a planet) since A.D. 1128. A 1974 book, The Jupiter Effect, had erroneously predicted several catastrophes to occur on this date in 1982, including a major earthquake on the San Andreas Fault in California. (March 10)

* Sat., March 10 (1876) - Anniversary: First successful telephone transmission of clear speech - when Alexander Graham Bell transmitted, "Mr. Watson, come here, I want to see you." Three days earlier, on March 7, Alexander Graham Bell received a U.S. patent for the telephone. (March 10)

* Sat., March 10 - Mercury at perihelion.

* Sat., March 10, 9:00 p.m. EST / March 11, 2:00 UTC - Saturn 2 degrees south of the Moon (appears closest March 10, 9:25 p.m. EST / March 11, 2:25 UTC).

* March 11 to April 30, September 24 through November 5 - Tsunami Preparedness Weeks. (mid-March through April, mid-September through early November)

* March 11 to 17 - Sleep Awareness Week®. (Last day of week coincides, each year, with conversion to Daylight Saving Time)

* March 11 to 17 - Wildfire Prevention Week. [Pennsylvania: Spring (Second week of March), Autumn]

* Sun., March 11 - Day of Planetaria. (Sunday in mid-March)

* Sun., March 11, 2:00 a.m. Prevailing Local Time (Standard Time) - DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME BEGINS - Beginning in 2007, EARLY DUE TO NEW FEDERAL LAW. Civil Time changes from 2:00 a.m. Standard Time to 3:00 a.m. Daylight Saving Time (Second Sunday in March, 2:00 a.m. Prevailing Local Time).
Some States to Abandon Daylight Saving Time ?
Science of Daylight Saving Time.

* Sun., March 11, 5:17 a.m. EDT / 9:17 UTC - Moon at apogee: 251,455.251332218 statute miles / 404,678 kilometers.

* March 12 to 18 - Brain Awareness Week. (Second full week of March: Monday through Sunday)

* Mon., March 12 - Napping Day. (Monday after the annual beginning of Daylight Saving Time)

* Mon., March 12 - World Day Against Cyber Censorship. (March 12)

* Mon., March 12 (1989) - Anniversary of the original proposal founding the World Wide Web on the Internet. (March 12)

* Mon., March 12 (1912) - Anniversary of the founding of the Girl Scouts of the United States of America. (March 12)

* Mon., March 12, 12:33 a.m. EDT / 4:33 UTC - As it appears in the sky, the Moon moves very close to Dwarf Planet Pluto.

* Tue., March 13 (1781) - Anniversary of the Planet Uranus discovery announced by Sir Frederick William Herschel. (March 13)

* Tue., March 13 (1938), 8:00 a.m. Prevailing Time - Anniversary of beginning of the radio news program CBS World News Roundup, the longest-running, network news broadcast in America. (March 13)

* Wed., March 14 - Pi Day, a holiday commemorating the mathematical constant π (pi). (March 14: 3.14)

* Wed., March 14, 7:08 a.m. EDT / 11:08 UTC - As it appears in the sky, Venus enters Constellation Pisces the Fishes.

* Thur., March 15 - Ides of March. (March 15)
Also see: Ides of March article on StarDate.

* Thur., March 15 - Buzzards return to Hinckley, Ohio (Cleveland suburb). (March 15)

* Thur., March 15 (1892) - First patent granted for the invention of the escalator, which resulted in production of the first escalator installed on the Old Iron Pier at Coney Island in New York City in 1896. (March 15)

* Fri., March 16 - Equilux - The actual day with equal hours and minutes of the Sun above the horizon, and equal hours and minutes of the Sun below the horizon. Occurs twice each year, approximately 3-to-4 days before the Vernal Equinox and 3-to-4 days after the Autumnal Equinox. (March 16, September 25)

* Fri., March 16 - Freedom of Information Day, the birthday of James Madison, who is widely regarded as the Father of the Constitution and as the foremost advocate for openness in government. (March 16)

* Fri., March 16, 9:31 a.m. EDT / 13:31 UTC - As it appears in the sky, the Moon moves very close to Neptune.

* Sat., March 17 - St. Patrick's Day. (March 17)

* Sat., March 17, 9:12 a.m. EDT / 13:12 UTC - Primary Moon Phase: New Moon - Lunation # 1178.

* Sun., March 18, 3:00 p.m. EDT / 19:00 UTC - Venus 4 degrees north of the Moon (appear closest 5:37 p.m. EDT / 21:37 UTC).

* March 19 to 25 - Fix-a-Leak Week. (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency - third week of March: Monday through Sunday)

* March 19 to 23 - Solar Week. (Mid-to-Late March, Mid-to-Late October)

* Mon., March 19 (1918) - Centennial Anniversary: Standard Time Act authorized by the U.S. Congress, which legally established time zones in the United States. Previously, five North American time zones had been established by the American and Canadian railroads at precisely 12:00 Noon on 1883 November 18, upon a time signal sent over the telegraph from the Allegheny Observatory in Pittsburgh. The law also established Daylight Saving Time (DST) to conserve energy during World War I, after being promoted by Pittsburgh business and civic leader Robert Garland.

* Mon., March 19 - St. Joseph's Day - Swallows return to Mission San Juan Capistrano, California. (March 19)

* Mon., March 19 - World Monopoly Day. (March 19)

* Mon., March 19, 4:16 a.m. EDT / 8:16 UTC - As it appears in the sky, Mercury and Venus are close.

* March 20 to 26 - Pennsylvania Medicine Cabinet Clean-up Week. (Week Beginning with the Vernal Equinox)

* March 20 to April 15 - Annual National Cherry Blossom Festival, Washington DC. (~ Vernal Equinox to mid-April)

* Tue., March 20 - Sun - Earth Day. (NASA: Day of, or near, the Vernal Equinox, the first day of Spring)

* Tue., March 20, 12:15 p.m. EDT / 16:15 UTC - Vernal Equinox - Spring Season begins in Northern Hemisphere of Earth. (~March 20)
Beginning of New Year (Solar Calendar) in Afghanistan and Iran / Persia (Nowruz), including being a holy day for the Zoroastrian Religion, and Bahá'í Naw-Rúz, one of nine holy days of the Bahá'í Faith. (~ March 19, 20, 21)

* Wed., March 21 - Kick Butts Day to prevent youth use of tobacco products. (March 21).

* Wed., March 21 - Rosie The Riveter Day, commemorating the World War II poster, created by Pittsburgh's Westinghouse Company, which promoted women doing their part in the war effort.

* Wed., March 21 - World Poetry Day. (March 21)

* Wed., March 21 (1617) - Anniversary of the Funeral of Native American Pocahontas (a.k.a. Rebecca Rolfe) at age ~ 21. (March 21)

* Thur., March 22 - World Water Day. (March 22)

* Thur., March 22, 7:00 p.m. EDT / 23:00 UTC - Star Aldebaran 0.9 degree south of the Moon; occultation: northwestern portion of North America, Greenland, Svalbard archipelago in the Arctic Ocean (Norway), United Kingdom, Ireland, majority of Scandinavia, northeastern portion of Russia.

* Fri., March 23 (1989) - National Near-Miss Day - Apollo Asteroid 1989FC, with a diameter of 300 meters, comes within 690,000 kilometers of the Earth in 1989. (March 23)

* Sat., March 24, 11:35 a.m. EDT / 15:35 UTC - Primary Moon Phase: First Quarter.

* Sat., March 24, 5:22 p.m. EDT / 21:22 UTC - Double-shadow (shadows of 2 Galilean Moons) transit on Jupiter; visible, with difficulty, through telescope after sunset or before sunrise.

* Sat., March 24, 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. Prevailing Local Time - Earth Hour annual environmental observance. (Saturday Late in March, 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. Prevailing Local Time)

* March 25 to 31 - National Week of the Ocean.

* March 25 to April 2 - Holy Week. (Week of Palm Sunday through Holy Saturday; Traditionally, also including Easter Sunday, and possibly including Easter Monday)
Will Christians Agree to Fix the Date of Easter?

* Sun., March 25 - Palm Sunday. (Sunday before Easter Sunday)
Will Christians Agree to Fix the Date of Easter?

* Sun., March 25 - Feast of the Annunciation observed nine full months before Christmas Day. The Feast of the Annunciation on March 25 (also the Vernal Equinox in the "original" Julian Calendar adopted by the second King of Rome, Numa Pompilius, in the 7th century B.C.) had been considered the beginning of the New Year, until the Gregorian Calendar reform, when Pope Gregory XIII chose the Feast of the Circumcision of Christ (Jan. 1) as the beginning of the New Year in the Roman Catholic Church's Liturgical Year. (March 25)

* Sat., March 25 - Lady Day in England, the first of the four traditional English quarter days, was New Year's Day up to 1752 when, following the move from the Julian Calendar to the Gregorian Calendar, January 1 became the start of the year. Lady Day (for the Virgin Mary) is the traditional name of the Feast of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin (March 25) in some English-speaking countries. (March 25)

* Sat., March 25 - National Medal of Honor Day. (March 25)

* March 26 to 30 - Flood Safety Awareness Week. (Pennsylvania: March).

* Mon., March 26 - Make Up Your Own Holiday Day. (March 26)

* Mon., March 26, 1:00 p.m. EDT / 17:00 UTC - Moon at perigee: 229,351.835281952 statute miles / 369,106 kilometers.

* Mon., March 26, 8:40 p.m. EDT / March 27, 0:40 UTC - As it appears in the sky, the Moon moves very close to the Beehive Open Star Cluster.

* Tue., March 27 - Diabetes Alert Day. (Fourth Tuesday of March)

* Wed., March 28 - Holy Wednesday. (Wednesday before Easter Sunday)
Will Christians Agree to Fix the Date of Easter?

* Wed., March 28, 10:00 a.m. EDT / 14:00 UTC - Star Regulus 1.0 degree south of the Moon; occultation: northwestern portion of North America, Aleutian Islands (Alaska), northern portion of Greenland, Svalbard archipelago in the Arctic Ocean (Norway), majority of Scandinavia, northern and eastern portions of Russia.

* Wed., March 28, 8:00 p.m. EDT / March 29, 0:00 UTC - Venus 0.07 degree south of Uranus.

* Thur., March 29 - Maundy Thursday / Holy Thursday. (Thursday before Easter Sunday)
Will Christians Agree to Fix the Date of Easter?

* Thur., March 29 (1848) - Anniversary: Ice jam stops flow of Niagara Falls for about 30 hours. (March 29)

* Fri., March 30 - Pennsylvania Female Veterans' Day. (March 30)

* Fri., March 30 - National Doctors' Day. (March 30)

* Fri., March 30 - World Bi-Polar Day, International Society for Bi-Polar Disorders, Pittsburgh. (March 30)

* Fri., March 30 - Good Friday. (Friday before Easter Sunday)
Will Christians Agree to Fix the Date of Easter?

* Fri., March 30, 1:59 a.m. EDT / 5:59 UTC - As it appears in the sky, Venus enters Constellation Aries the Ram.

* March 31, local sunset to April 7, local sunset (Sunset in Pittsburgh - March 31: 7:44 p.m. EDT / 23:44 UTC; April 7: 7:51 p.m. EDT / 23:51 UTC) - Jewish festival of Passover.

* Sat., March 31 - World Back-Up Day. (March 31)

* Sat., March 31 - Last day of Calendar Year First Quarter. (March 31)

* Sat., March 31 - National Crayon Day. (March 31)

* Sat., March 31 (1851) - Anniversary: Jean Leon Foucault first demonstrates, to the general public, in the Pantheon in Paris, the Foucault Pendulum, which is a proof that the Earth rotates on its axis. He had invented the device on 1851 January 8 and first demonstrated it to scientists on 1851 February 3.
Near the end of his life, Jean Leon Foucault also developed the Siderostat-type Refractor Telescope. (March 31)

* Sat., March 31 (1918) - Centennial Anniversary: Daylight Saving Time (DST) established in the United States by the Standard Time Act, to conserve energy during World War I, after being promoted by Pittsburgh business and civic leader Robert Garland. However, DST was not popular, and the U.S. Congress repealed the law after the War. (March 31)

* Sat., March 31 - Holy Saturday. (Saturday before Easter Sunday)
Will Christians Agree to Fix the Date of Easter?

* Sat., March 31, 8:37 a.m. EDT / 12:37 UTC - Primary Moon Phase: Full Moon (Worm Moon) - "Blue Moon", second Full Moon in a calendar month.

* Sun., April 1 (Sunrise in Pittsburgh: 7:04 a.m. EDT / 11:04 UTC) - Easter Sunday. [46 days after Ash Wednesday; the first Sunday after the full moon (the Paschal Full Moon) following the March equinox (ecclesiastically, the equinox is reckoned to be on March 21, even though the equinox occurs, astronomically speaking, on March 20 in most years)]
Will Christians Agree to Fix the Date of Easter?

* Mon., April 2 - Easter Monday. (Monday after Easter Sunday)
Will Christians Agree to Fix the Date of Easter?

* Sun., April 8 (Sunrise in Pittsburgh: 6:52 a.m. EDT / 10:52 UTC) - Orthodox Easter Sunday. [46 days after Orthodox Ash Wednesday; the first Sunday after the full moon (the Paschal Full Moon) following the March equinox (ecclesiastically, the equinox is reckoned to be on March 21, even though the equinox occurs, astronomically speaking, on March 20 in most years)]
Will Christians Agree to Fix the Date of Easter?

* March 17 to April 15 - Annual National Cherry Blossom Festival, Washington DC. (~ Vernal Equinox to mid-April)

* March 19 to April 30, September 24 through November 5 - Tsunami Preparedness Weeks. (mid-March through April, mid-September through early November)

* March 25 to April 2 - Holy Week. (Week of Palm Sunday through Holy Saturday; Traditionally, also including Easter Sunday, and possibly including Easter Monday)
Will Christians Agree to Fix the Date of Easter?

* March 26 to April 1 - National Week of the Ocean.

* April 1 to 30 - National Kite Month. (April; plus in some years: some days in March and May)

* Mid-April - Big Night for Spring Peepers - First night (or first several nights), after the ground has thawed, with temperatures ~ +40 to +50 degrees Fahrenheit (F), and it rains, when there is a massive migration of frogs and salamanders in New Hampshire and other New England states. (Mid-April)

* Sun., April 1 - First day of calendar year Second Quarter. (April 1)

* Sun., April 1 (Sunrise in Pittsburgh: 7:04 a.m. EDT / 11:04 UTC) - Easter Sunday. [46 days after Ash Wednesday; the first Sunday after the full moon (the Paschal Full Moon) following the March equinox (ecclesiastically, the equinox is reckoned to be on March 21, even though the equinox occurs, astronomically speaking, on March 20 in most years)]
Will Christians Agree to Fix the Date of Easter?

* Sun., April 1 - April Fools' Day - The end of a week-long (March 25 to April 1) New Year's festival in France during the Middle Ages, until January 1 was declared New Year's Day in 1564. After 1564, people in France who celebrated New Year's on April 1 were considered "April Fools." (April 1)

* Sun., April 1 (1960) - Anniversary of launch of first successful weather satellite, TIROS-1. (April 1)
Also see: Space Race To Create Quantum Satellite.

* Sun., April 1 (1954) - Anniversary of first broadcast of educational television station WQED-TV 13 in Pittsburgh, the nation's first community-supported television station. (April 1)

* Sun., April 1, 2:00 a.m. Prevailing Local Time (Daylight Saving Time) - DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME CONTINUES - Change in Federal law, thus that change from Standard Time to Daylight Saving Time occured the second Sunday in March: 2:00 a.m. Standard Time then became 3:00 a.m. Daylight Saving Time on the second Sunday in March. (Previously, first Sunday of April)
Some States to Abandon Daylight Saving Time ?
Science of Daylight Saving Time.

* Sun., April 1, 2:00 p.m. EDT / 18:00 UTC - Mercury in inferior conjunction with the Sun (Mercury not visible, even with a telescope).

* April 2 to 8 - National Public Health Week. (First week of April)

* Mon., April 2 (1968) - 50th Anniversary of the World Premiere of the very influential, science-fiction motion picture, 2001: A Space Odyssey, which was presented in many theaters, including Pittsburgh's Warner Theater, in "Cinerama," an early wide-screen format that preceded the Omnimax format.

* Mon., April 2 - Easter Monday. (Monday after Easter Sunday)
Will Christians Agree to Fix the Date of Easter?

* Mon., April 2 - Light It Up Blue, in North America, is dedicated to raising awareness of autism (April 2) / World Autism Awareness Day. (April 2)

* Mon., April 2 - Reconciliation Day. (April 2)

* Mon., April 2, 8:48 a.m. EDT / 12:48 UTC - Mars 1.3 degrees south of Saturn.

* Tue., April 3 (1513) - Anniversary of the Discovery of Florida by Ponce de Leon. (April 3)

* Tue., April 3, 10:00 a.m. EDT / 14:00 UTC - Jupiter 4 degrees south of the Moon (closest apparent approach of the Moon at 12:12 p.m. EDT / 16:12 UTC) .

* Wed., April 4 - 50th Anniversary of the assassination of American Baptist Minister and civil rights activist Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (April 4)
Dr. King's writing on how small the Earth is, compared to the great expanse of the Universe.

* Wed., April 4 - Global Day of the Engineer. (Early April: First Wednesday of April)

* Wed., April 4 - National Walking Day / Move More in April. (First Wednesday of April)

* Wed., April 4 - Land-Mine Awareness Day. (April 4)

* April 6 to 15, 8:00 to 10:00 p.m. Prevailing Local Time - CITIZEN SCIENCE - Annual Globe at Night campaign, to raise public awareness of the impact of light pollution by encouraging everyone everywhere to measure local levels of night sky brightness and contribute observations on-line to a world map.

* Fri., April 6 (1965) - Anniversary of launch of Early Bird satellite (Intelsat I), first commercial communications satellite placed in a geo-stationary orbit above the Earth. (April 6)

* Fri., April 6 (1917) - Anniversary of United States entry into World War I. (April 6)

* Fri., April 6 - Tartan Day - Celebration of Scottish heritage. (April 6)

* April 7 to 15 - National Robotics Week. (Early to mid-April)

* Sat., April 7 - Park Day - Annual hands-on preservation event to help Civil War — and now Revolutionary War — battlefields and historic sites take on maintenance projects large and small. (First Saturday of April)

* Sat., April 7 - National Alcohol Screening Day (Early April: April 7)

* Sat., April 7 - No Housework Day. (April 7)

* Sat., April 7, 9:00 a.m. EDT / 13:00 UTC - Saturn 1.9 degrees south of the Moon.

* Sat., April 7, 2:12 p.m. EDT / 18:12 UTC - Mars 3 degrees south of the Moon.

* April 8 to 14 - National Library Week. (Second week of April)

* April 8 to 14 - Pan American Week. (Week of April 14, Pan American Day)

* April 8 to 14 - U.S. CFTC’s SmartCheck Week - To Emphasize Continual Background Checks of Financial Professionals. (Second week of April)

* April 8 to 14 - National Crime Victims' Rights Week. (Early to mid-April)

* April 8 to 14 - National Dog-Bite Prevention Week. (Second full week of April)

* Sun., April 8 (Sunrise in Pittsburgh: 6:52 a.m. EDT / 10:52 UTC) - Orthodox Easter Sunday. [46 days after Orthodox Ash Wednesday; the first Sunday after the full moon (the Paschal Full Moon) following the March equinox (ecclesiastically, the equinox is reckoned to be on March 21, even though the equinox occurs, astronomically speaking, on March 20 in most years)]
Will Christians Agree to Fix the Date of Easter?

* Sun., April 8, 2:00 a.m. EDT / 6:00 UTC - Moon apogee: 251,123.439115563 statute miles / 404,144 kilometers.

* Sun., April 8, 3:18 a.m. EDT / 7:18 UTC - Primary Moon Phase: Last Quarter.

* April 9 to 13 - National Work Zone Awareness Week. (Early to mid-April)

* April 9 to 13 - National Retirement Planning Week®. (Early to mid-April)

* Mon., April 9 (1865) - American Civil War ended with the surrender by Confederate General Robert E. Lee. (April 9)
Also see the Civil War Museum of the Andrew Carnegie Free Library and Music Hall in Carnegie, Pennsylvania.

* Tue., April 10 (1996) - World record fastest wind gust on the Earth's surface (not related to a tornado) recorded by automated, unstaffed weather instrument station on Australia's Barrow Island during Tropical Cyclone Olivia: 253 miles per hour. (April 10)
Also see: Western and Northern Hemispheres' record fastest wind gust on the Earth's surface.

* Tue., April 10 - Equal Pay Day - This date symbolizes how far into the year women must work to earn what men earned in the previous year. (Early to mid-April)

* Tue., April 10 - Siblings Day. (April 10)

* Tue., April 10 - National Library Workers Day. (Tuesday of National Library Week)

* Wed., April 11 - National Bookmobile Day. (Wednesday of National Library Week)

* Thur., April 12 (1961) - International Day of Human Space Flight - Anniversary of when Russia launched the first human into space and orbit of the Earth, Yuri Gagarin. (April 12)

* Thur., April 12 (1981) - First launch of an American Space Shuttle (STS), Columbia. (April 12)

* Thur., April 12 (1934) - World record fastest wind gust on the Earth's surface (not related to a tornado), until 1996 April 10, recorded at Mount Washington Weather Observatory, New Hampshire: 231 miles per hour. This is still the fastest wind gust on the Earth's surface (not related to a tornado) recorded in the Western Hemisphere and in the Northern Hemisphere, and the fastest wind gust on the Earth's surface (not related to a tornado) observed by humans. (April 12)
Also see: World record fastest wind gust on the Earth's surface.

* Thur., April 12 (1955) - Announcement of successful polio vaccine, developed by University of Pittsburgh virology researcher Dr. Jonas Salk. (April 12)

* Thur., April 12 (1861) - The American Civil War began. (April 12)
Also see the Civil War Museum of the Andrew Carnegie Free Library and Music Hall in Carnegie, Pennsylvania.

* Thur., April 12 - Drop Everything and Read Day in honor of the birthday of children's author Beverly Cleary. (April 12)

* Thur., April 12 - Teen Literature Day. (Thursday of National Library Week)

* Thur., April 12, 7:53 p.m. EDT / 23:53 UTC - Apparent very close approach of the Moon to Neptune.

* Fri., April 13 - "Friday the 13th" superstition; debunking this superstition, purpose of character King Friday the 13th on popular PBS children's television series, Mister Rogers' Neighborhood (originated at WQED-TV channel 13 in Pittsburgh). (Friday the 13th)

* Fri., April 13 - Scrabble Day. (April 13)

* Fri., April 13 - FND International Awareness Day - Regarding Functional neurological symptom disorder (FNsD). (April 13)

* Fri., April 13 (1970), 10:07:53 p.m. EST / April 14, 3:07:53 UTC (Note: In 1970, Daylight Saving Time did not begin until April 26) - Apollo 13 aborted mission to land on the Moon after an oxygen tank explosion severely crippled the spacecraft. After a 1970 April 11 launch, the three astronauts, James A. Lovell, John A. "Jack" Swigert, and Fred W. Haise, returned safely to Earth on 1970 April 17. Due to the plan to return Apollo 13 to Earth, after going around the Moon, the Apollo 13 astronauts flew farther from Earth than any other humans, to-date. (April 13)

* April 14 to 15 (1865) - Assassination of U.S. President Abraham Lincoln. (April 14 to 15)
Also see the Civil War Museum of the Andrew Carnegie Free Library and Music Hall in Carnegie, Pennsylvania.

* Sat., April 14 - Pan American Day. (April 14)

* Fri., April 14 (1970), 7:21 p.m. EST / April 15, 0:21 UTC (Note: In 1970, Daylight Saving Time did not begin until April 26) - Due to the Moon being nearly at apogee (farthest point in lunar orbit from the Earth, for month of 1970 April), the Apollo 13 astronauts became the first humans to travel farther from the Earth than any other humans, which is still true to-date; distance from Earth: 248,655 mile / 400,171 kilometers. This record was necessary, due to the abort of the lunar landing mission of Apollo 13. (April 14)

* Sat., April 14 (1912), 11:40 p.m. (Ship Time) Anniversary of the sinking of the RMS Titanic on the ship's maiden voyage. (April 14)
Also see: Titanic Sunk by the Moon?

* Sat., April 14 - March for Science including marches in Washington and Pittsburgh.

* Sat., April 14, 5:00 a.m. EDT / 9:00 UTC - Mercury 4 degrees north of the Moon (apparent close approach of the Moon at 7:59 a.m. EDT / 11:59 UTC).

* April 15 to 21 - International Dark-Sky Week. (Week of the New Moon in April)

* April 15 to 22 - International Astronomy Week. (Begins on the Monday preceding the Saturday designated as Astronomy Day)

* April 15 to 21 - National Volunteer Week. (Mid-April)

* April 15 to 21 - National Minority Cancer Awareness Week. (Third week of April)

* Sun., April 15 - Good Deeds Day. (Sunday in late March or early to mid-April)

* Sun., April 15, 12:00 Noon LOCAL SUN TIME - In the middle of April of each year, Sundial Time and Local Clock Time are in general agreement, for locales which lie on a Time-Zone Meridian (such as Philadelphia, which lies on the Eastern Time Zone Meridian, or Greenwich, England, which lies on the Greenwich Time Zone Meridian or Prime Meridian). (~ April 15)

* Sun., April 15, 9:57 p.m. EDT / April 16, 1:57 UTC - Primary Moon Phase: New Moon - Lunation # 1179.

* April 16 to 22 - Earth Week. (Week leading to and including Earth Day, April 22: April 16 to 22)

* April 16 to 20 - The Week of the Young Child™. (Mid-April)

* Mon., April 16 - National Healthcare Decisions Day. (April 16)

* Mon., April 16 - National Stress Awareness Day. (April 16)

* Mon., April 16 - World Voice Day. (April 16)

* Mon., April 16 - Patriots' Day. (Third Monday of April)

* Tue., April 17 - Tax Day (USA) - Individual Federal tax returns due or postmarked by end of day. (April 15, unless delayed by a holiday)

* Tue., April 17 - World Hemophilia Day. (April 17)

* Tue., April 17 - Blah, Blah, Blah Day. (April 17)

* Tue., April 17 - Saturn at aphelion.

* Tue., April 17, 3:00 p.m. EDT / 19:00 UTC - Venus 5 degrees north of the Moon.

* Wed., April 18, 10:00 a.m. EDT / 14:00 UTC - Uranus in conjunction with the Sun (Uranus not visible, even with a telescope).

* Thur., April 19, 1:00 a.m. EDT / 5:00 UTC - Star Aldebaran 1.1 degrees south of the Moon; occultation: northern portions of Canada and Greenland, Scandinavia (northern and eastern sections), Russia (central and northern sections), majority of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.

* Fri., April 20 (1946) - Dissolution of the League of Nations; succeeded by the United Nations (UN), which was formed on 1945 October 24. (April 20)

* Fri., April 20, 11:00 a.m. EDT / 15:00 UTC - Moon at perigee: 229,108.257774595 statute miles / 368,714 kilometers.

* Fri., April 20, Evening - World Night in Defence of the Starlight. (April 20, Evening)

* Saturday - April 21, Oct. 13 - Astronomy Day. [Saturday closest to First Quarter Primary Phase of the Moon, in April or May (Spring - Saturday of Astronomy Week) and in September or October (Autumn)]: Link 1 *** Link 2 *** Link 3

* April 21 to 28 - Money Smart Week®. (Last week of April)

* April 21 to 28 - National Infant Immunization Week (NIIW). (Mid-to-late April)

* April 21 to 29 - National Park Week. (Third or fourth week of April, including both weekends)

* Sat., April 21 - National Junior Ranger Day. (Saturday in National Park Week)

* Sat., April 21 - Record Store Day. (Second or third Saturday in April)

* April 22 to 28 - National Sky Awareness Week (SAW), a week set-aside to “look up” and to see the myriad of cloud patterns and formations that grace the sky. (Last full week of April)

* April 22 to 28 - Preservation Week for library and archive materials. (Last week of April)

* April 22 to 28 - National Infertility Awareness Week®.

* April 22 to 28 - Administrative Professionals Week. (Last full week of April)

* April 22 to 28 - National Re-entry Week. (Last week of April)

* Sun., April 22 - Earth Day. (April 22)

* Sun., April 22 (1994) - Announcement of discovery of the Top Quark, the most massive of all observed elementary particles. (April 22)

* Sun., April 22, 2:00 p.m. EDT / 18:00 UTC (Best viewing: Midnight to Dawn) - Peak of Lyrid Meteor Shower. (April 22)

* Sun., April 22, 5:46 p.m. EDT / 21:46 UTC - Primary Moon Phase: First Quarter.

* April 23 to 27 - Severe Weather Awareness Week. (Pennsylvania: Mid-April)

* April 23 to 29 - National Environmental Education Week. (EE Week - Week near Earth Day: April 22)

* Mon., April 23 - World Laboratory Day. (April 23)

* Mon., April 23 - World Book and Copyright Day / World Book Night. (April 23)

* Mon., April 23, 5:46 p.m. EDT / 21:46 UTC - Mercury at aphelion.

* Mon., April 23, 3:00 p.m. EDT / 7:00 UTC - Moon 1.9 degrees south of Beehive Open Star Cluster (M44).

* April 24 to 30 - World Immunization Week. (April 24 to 30)

* Tue., April 24 (1800) - Library of Congress established by an act of the U.S. Congress. (April 24)

* Tue., April 24, 4:00 p.m. EDT / 20:00 UTC - Star Regulus 1.2 degree south of the Moon; occultation: central portion of Russia, northeastern tip of Kazakhstan.

* Wed., April 25 (1953) - DNA Day - Commemorates the day in 1953 when James Watson, Francis Crick, Maurice Wilkins, Rosalind Franklin, and colleagues published papers in the journal Nature on the structure of DNA. (April 25)

* Wed., April 25 - World Penguin Day. (April 25)

* Wed., April 25 - World Malaria Day. (April 25)

* Wed., April 25 - Administrative Professionals Day. (Wednesday of Administrative Professionals' Week, last full week of April)

* Thur., April 26 (1920) - The 1920 Great Debate on the Scale of the Universe between Harlow Shapley of the Mount Wilson Observatory (who gave the keynote address at the 1941 dedication of the rather unique 10-inch Siderostat-Type Refractor Telescope at Pittsburgh's original Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science) and Allegheny Observatory Director Heber D. Curtis. (April 26)

* Thur., April 26 - World Intellectual Property Day. (April 26)

* Thur., April 26 - National Take Our Daughters and Sons To Work Day. (Fourth Thursday of April)

* Thur., April 26 - Help a Horse Day. (April 26)

* Thur., April 26, 1:50 a.m. EDT / 5:50 UTC - Apparent very close approach of Mars and Dwarf Planet Pluto.

* Fri., April 27 - Arbor Day - National Arbor Day Foundation. (Last Friday of April)

* Fri., April 27 - Teach Children to Save Day. (Last Friday of April)

* April 28 to May 6 (2001) - First Outer Space Tourist: Dennis Tito. (April 28 to May 6)

* April 28, 29 - Holocaust Remembrance Days (USA). (April 28, 29)

* Sat., April 28 - Workers' Memorial Day. (April 28)

* Sat., April 28 - Save the Frogs Day. (Last Saturday in April)
Also see news article.

* Sat., April 28, 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Prevailing Local Time - National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day sponsored by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. (Last Saturday in April)

* April 29 to May 5 - National Small Business Week. (End of April, beginning of May)

* Sun., April 29, 8:58 p.m. EDT / April 30, 0:58 UTC - Primary Moon Phase: Full Moon. (Pink Moon)

* April 30, Sept. 30 - National PrepareAthon ! Day - Day to emphasize preparation for disasters and emergencies. (April 30, Sept. 30)

* Mon., April 30, 1:00 p.m. EDT / 17:00 UTC - Jupiter 4 degrees south of the Moon (apparent close approach of the Moon at 3:17 p.m. EDT / 19:17 UTC).

* Tue., May 1 - Traditional Astronomical Cross-Quarter Day Beltaine, better known as May Day - Second traditional Astronomical Cross-Quarter Day of year; approximate mid-way point in Spring season. (May 1)
Actual Cross-Quarter Day.

* Sat., May 5, 9:13 a.m. EDT / 13:13 UTC - Actual Astronomical Cross-Quarter Day Beltaine, better known as May Day - Second traditional Astronomical Cross-Quarter Day of year; mid-way point in Spring season (~May 5-6).
Traditional Cross-Quarter Day.

* April 29 to May 5 - National Small Business Week. (End of April, beginning of May)

* April 30 to May 6 - Children's Book Week (Last week of April and / or first week of May, beginning on Monday; Moved from 2007 Nov. 12 to 18).

* May 1 to 7 - Choose Privacy Week. (May 1 to 7)

* Tue., May 1 - Traditional Astronomical Cross-Quarter Day Beltaine, better known as May Day - Second traditional Astronomical Cross-Quarter Day of year; approximate mid-way point in Spring season. (May 1)
Actual Cross-Quarter Day.

* Tue., May 1 - Law Day. (May 1)

* Tue., May 1 - Loyalty Day. (May 1)

* Tue., May 1 - World Asthma Day. (First Tuesday in May)

* Tue., May 1 - Give Local America Day to raise money for local non-profit organizations. (First Tuesday of May)

* Wed., May 2 - Bike to School Day. (First Wed. in May)

* Thur., May 3 - World Press Freedom Day (May 3).

* Thur., May 3 - Password Day. (May 3)

* Thur., May 3 (1971) - Anniversary of the National Public Radio (NPR) news program, "All Things Considered" (ATC). (May 3)

* Thur., May 3 - National Day of Prayer. (~ May 3)

* Fri., May 4 - Space Day. (First Friday in May)

* Fri., May 4 - "Star Wars" Day - "May the Fourth Be With You." (May 4)

* Fri., May 4 - Bird Day - Created in 1894 in the Western Pennsylvania community of Oil City. (May 4)

* Fri., May 4, 4:17 p.m. EDT / 20:17 UTC - Saturn 1.7 degrees south of the Moon.

* May 5 to 14, 8:00 to 10:00 p.m. Prevailing Local Time - CITIZEN SCIENCE - Annual Globe at Night campaign, to raise public awareness of the impact of light pollution by encouraging everyone everywhere to measure local levels of night sky brightness and contribute observations on-line to a world map.

* Sat., May 5 - Cinco de Mayo. (Mexico: May 5)

* Sat., May 5 - National Wildfire Community Preparedness Day. (First Saturday in May)

* Sat., May 5 - National Scrapbooking Day. (First Saturday in May)

* Sat., May 5 - National Comic Book Day. (First Saturday in May)

* Sat., May 5, 2:00 a.m. EDT / 7:00 UTC (Best viewing: Midnight to Dawn) - Peak of n-Aquarid (Eta Aquarid) Meteor Shower - remnants from Halley's Comet. (May 4 to 7)

* Sat., May 5 - Launch Window: 7:05 to 9:05 a.m. EDT / 11:05 to 13:05 UTC - Scheduled launch of NASA InSight Lander for mission to Mars; landing scheduled in November of 2018: Link 1 *** Link 2.

* Sat., May 5, 9:13 a.m. EDT / 13:13 UTC - Actual Astronomical Cross-Quarter Day Beltaine, better known as May Day - Second traditional Astronomical Cross-Quarter Day of year; mid-way point in Spring season (~May 5-6).
Traditional Cross-Quarter Day.

* Sat., May 5, 5:13 p.m. EDT / 21:13 UTC - As it appears from Earth, the Moon approaches very close to the Dwarf Planet Pluto.

* Sat., May 5, 9:00 p.m. EDT / May 6, 1:00 UTC - Moon at apogee: 251,317.928298734 statute miles / 404,457 kilometers.

* May 6 to 12 - North American Occupational Safety and Health Week. (First full week of May)

* May 6 to 12 - Arson Awareness Week. (First full week of May)

* May 6 to 12 - Hurricane Preparedness Week. (Mid-May)

* May 6 to 12 - National Travel and Tourism Week. (First full week of May)

* May 6 to 12 - Bicycle Week / Bike-to-Work Week. (Second week of May)

* May 6 to 12 - National Hospital Week: Link 1 *** Link 2. (Second week of May)

* May 6 to 12 - Public Service Recognition Week (PSRW). (First full week of May)

* May 6 to 12 - National Nurses Week (from May 6, also known as National Nurses Day, through May 12, the birthday of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing).

* Sun., May 6 - National Nurses Day / National RN Recognition Day (May 6).

* Sun., May 6 - National Tourist Appreciation Day. (May 6)

* Sun., May 6 - Read Your Farmers’ Almanac In The Bathroom Day. (May 6)

* Sun., May 6, 2:50 a.m. EDT / 6:50 UTC - Mars 3 degrees south of the Moon.

* May 7 to 11 - National PTA Teacher Appreciation Week. (First full school-week of May)

* Mon., May 7 - World Password Day. (May 7)

* Mon., May 7, 10:09 p.m. EDT / May 8, 2:09 UTC - Primary Moon Phase: Last Quarter.

* Tue., May 8 (1828) - World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day. (May 8)

* Tue., May 8 (1945) - Victory in Europe Day. (May 8)

* Tue., May 8 - National Teacher Day. (Tuesday of Teacher Appreciation Week)

* Tue., May 8, 9:00 p.m. EDT / May 9, 1:00 UTC - Jupiter at opposition (Jupiter visible approx. local sunset to local sunrise).

* Wed., May 9 - National School Nurse Day. (Wednesday Of National Nurses Week)

* Wed., May 9 - National Student Nurses Day. (Wednesday Of National Nurses Week - originally May 8)

* Thur., May 10, 6:10 a.m. EDT / 10:10 UTC - As it appears from Earth, the Moon approaches very close to Neptune.

* May 12 to 20 - Armed Forces Week. (USA: Second Saturday to Sunday of following week in May)

* Sat., May 12 - National Lab Day. (May 12)

* Sat., May 12 - International Migratory Bird Day. (Second Saturday in May)

* Sat., May 12 - Stamp-Out Hunger Food Drive. (Second Saturday of May)

* Sat., May 12 - World Fair Trade Day. (Second Saturday of May)

* Sat., May 12 - International Nurses Day, the birth date of pioneering nurse Florence Nightingale, and the end of the annual Nurses Week. (May 12)

* Sat., May 12 - Limerick Day. (May 12)

* Sat., May 12 - National Train Day. (Celebrated on the Saturday closest to the anniversary of the driving of the Golden Spike for the completion of the First Transcontinental Railroad in the United States of America: 1869 May 10)

* Sat., May 12, 5:00 p.m. EDT / 21:00 UTC - Mercury 2 degrees south of Uranus.

* May 13 to 19 - Women's Health Week. (Week that begins on Mothers' Day)

* May 13 to 19 - Food Allergy Awareness Week (FAAW).

* May 13 to 19 - National Police Week. [Week including National Peace Officers' Memorial Day (May 15)]

* May 13 to 19 - National Transportation Week / National Defense Transportation Week. [Week in which National Defense Transportation Day falls (Friday)]

* Sun., May 13 (1611) - “Galileo Confirmation Day,” anniversary of the day Jesuit priests held a banquet in honor of Galileo Galilei, for his discovery of four moons orbiting the planet Jupiter. (May 13)

* Sun., May 13 - Mothers' Day. (Second Sunday in May)

* Sun., May 13, 1:00 p.m. EDT / 17:00 UTC - Mercury 2 degrees north of the Moon (very close approach at 2:51 p.m. EDT / 18:51 UTC).

* May 14 to 21 - Infrastructure Week. (MId-May)

* Mon., May 14 - Women's Checkup Day. (Monday after Mothers' Day - Monday of Women's Health Week)

* Mon., May 14, 5:06 a.m. EDT / 9:06 UTC - As it appears from Earth, Mars enters Constellation Capricornus the Horned Goat.

* May 15 to September 30 - Recreational Boating Season. (May 15 to Sept. 30)

* May 15, Sunset to June 14, Sunset (In Pittsburgh - May 15 Sunset: 8:30 p.m. EDT / May 16, 0:30 UTC; June 14 Sunset: 8:52 p.m. EDT / June 15, 0:52 UTC) - Month of observance of Ramadan in the Islamic religion. The month lasts 29 to 30 days, dependent on visual sightings of the New Crescent Moon.

nor * Tue., May 15 - National Peace Officers' Memorial Day. (May 15)

* Tue., May 15 - International Day of Families. (May 15)

* Tue., May 15, 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. EDT / 11:00 UTC to May 21, 0:00 UTC - Primary Election Day: Pennsylvania (Third Tuesday in May except during Presidential Election Years when it is held on the Fourth Tuesday in April).

* Tue., May 15, 7:48 a.m. EDT / 11:48 UTC - Primary Moon Phase: New Moon - Lunation # 1180.

* Wed., May 16 - Venus at perihelion.

* Wed., May 16, 9:00 a.m. EDT / 13:00 UTC - Star Aldebaran 1.2 degrees south of the Moon; occultation: Canada (central & northern portions), northwestern portion of Greenland, northern-most portion of central Russia).

* Thur., May 17, 2:54 p.m. EDT / 18:54 UTC - Venus 5 degrees north of the Moon.

* Thur., May 17, 5:00 p.m. EDT / 21:00 UTC - Moon at perigee: 226,039.92683 statute miles / 363,776 kilometers.

* Fri., May 18 - International Museum Day. (May 18)

* Fri., May 18 - Visit Your Relatives Day. (May 18)

* Fri., May 18 - National Defense Transportation Day. (Third Friday in May - Friday of National Defense Transportation Week)

* Fri., May. 18 - Wear Your Life-Jacket to Work Day. (Friday before the beginning of Safe Boating Week)

* Fri., May 18 - Bike-to-Work Day. (Third Friday in May)

* May 19 to 25 - National Safe Boating Week in the beginning of the Recreational Boating Season. (First full week before Memorial Day Weekend)

* May 19, Sunset to May 21, Sunset (In Pittsburgh - May 19 Sunset: 8:33 p.m. EDT / May 20, 0:33 UTC; May 21 Sunset: 8:35 p.m. EDT / May 22, 0:35 UTC) - Observance of Shavuot in the Hebrew religion. The observance begins and ends at Sunset.

* Sat., May 19 - Armed Forces Day. (USA: Third Saturday in May)

* Sat., May 19 - National May Ray Day This is a day to be outside, enjoying the sunshine and soaking up some rays from our nearest star. (May 19)

* Sat., May. 19 - Hepatitis Testing Day. (May 19)

* Sat., May. 19, 12:23 p.m. EDT / 16:23 UTC - As it appears from Earth, Venus enters Constellation Gemini the Twins.

* May 20 to 26 - Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Week. (Third full week of May)

* Sun., May 20 (1877) - Anniversary: The Duquesne Incline cable car railway in Pittsburgh. (May 20)

* Sun., May 20 - Weights and Measures Day. (May 20)

* Sun., May 20 - Endangered Species Day. (May 20)

* Sun., May 20 - Food Revolution Day. (May 20)

* Sun., May 20, 7:53 a.m. EDT / 11:53 UTC - Moon 1.7 degrees south of the Beehive Open Star Cluster.

* Mon., May 21 (1881) - Founding of the American Red Cross. (May 21)

* Mon., May 21 (1927) - Charles Lindbergh completes first solo trans-Atlantic flight and first non-stop flight between the Americas and main-land Europe, when landing in Paris in his Spirit of St. Louis airplane. (May 21)

* Mon., May 21 - Victoria Day - In Canada, informally considered the beginning of the Summer season. (Last Monday before May 25)

* Mon., May 21, 6:00 a.m. EDT / 10:00 UTC - Venus 0.7 degree north of the M35 Open Star Cluster.

* Mon., May 21, 9:00 p.m. EDT / May 22, 1:00 UTC - Star Regulus 1.5 degrees south of the Moon.

* Mon., May 21, 11:49 p.m. EDT / May 22, 3:49 UTC - Primary Moon Phase: First Quarter.

* Tue., May 22 - National Maritime Day. (May 22)
Pittsburgh's original Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science displayed the largest Mercator's Projection Map of the World, originally produced by the U.S. Maritime Commission for display at the 1939 World's Fair in New York City.

* Wed., May 23 - World Turtle Day. (May 23)

* Wed., May 23 - Emergency Medical Services for Children (EMSC) Day. [Wednesday of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Week]

* Thur., May 24, 9:00 p.m. EDT / May 26, 1:00 UTC - NBC-TV - Red Nose Day / Comedy Day. (Last Thursday in May)

* Fri., May 25 (1961) - Anniversary of when U.S. President John F. Kennedy, in a special speech before a joint session of the U.S. Congress, proposes a new national goal: "First, I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the earth." (May 25)

* Fri., May 25 - National Missing Children's Day. (May 25)

* Fri., May 25 - Don't Fry Day - The National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention Encourages Sun Safety Awareness. (Friday before Memorial Day).

* Sat., May 26, 11:05 a.m. EDT / 15:05 UTC - As it appears from Earth, Mercury enters Constellation Taurus the Bull.

* May 27 to June 2 - National Tire Safety Week.

* Sun., May 27, 2:00 p.m. EDT / 18:00 UTC - Jupiter 4 degrees south of the Moon (close approach 3:53 p.m. EDT / 19:53 UTC).

* Mon., May 28 - Memorial Day. (USA: Last Monday in May)
Originally observed as Decoration Day. (USA: May 30)

* Tue., May 29 - 529 College Savings Programs Day. (May 29)

* Tue., May 29, 10:20 a.m. EDT / 14:20 UTC - Primary Moon Phase: Full Moon (Flower Moon).

* Tue., May 29, 8:13 p.m. EDT / May 30, 0:13 UTC - Manhattan-Henge - View of Half Sun on the Manhattan, New York City, east--west street grid: Link 1 *** Link 2. (May 29, July 13)

* Wed., May 30, 8:12 p.m. EDT / May 31, 0:12 UTC - Manhattan-Henge - View of Full Sun on the Manhattan, New York City, east--west street grid: Link 1 *** Link 2. (May 30, July 12)

* Wed., May 30 - Decoration Day. (USA: May 30)
Now observed as Memorial Day. (USA: Last Monday in May)

* Wed., May 30 - National Senior Health & Fitness Day. (Last Wednesday in May)

* Thur., May 31 - World No Tobacco Day (WNTD). (May 31)

* Thur., May 31, 9:08 p.m. EDT / June 1, 1:08 UTC - Saturn 1.6 degrees south of the Moon.

* May 15, Sunset to June 14, Sunset (In Pittsburgh - May 15 Sunset: 8:30 p.m. EDT / May 16, 0:30 UTC; June 14 Sunset: 8:52 p.m. EDT / June 15, 0:52 UTC) - Month of observance of Ramadan in the Islamic religion. The month lasts 29 to 30 days, dependent on visual sightings of the New Crescent Moon.

* Thur., May 31, 9:08 p.m. EDT / June 1, 1:08 UTC - Saturn 1.6 degrees south of the Moon.

* June 1 to 7 - National CPR and AED Awareness Week. (June 1 to 7)

* Fri., June 1 - Beginning of Meteorological Season of Summer in Northern Hemisphere / Meteorological Season of Winter in Southern Hemisphere. (June 1)

* Fri., June 1 - Beginning of Hurricane Season in the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea. (June 1)

* Fri., June 1 - International Children's Day. (June 1)

* Fri., June 1 - Global Day of Parents. (June 1)

* Fri., June 1 - National Donut Day - Created by The Salvation Army in Chicago in 1938 to honor those of their members who served doughnuts to soldiers during World War I. (First Friday of June)

* Fri., June 1, 11:49 p.m. EDT / June 2, 3:49 UTC - As appears in the sky, the Moon passes very close to the Dwarf Planet Pluto.

* Sat., June 2 - National Gun Violence Awareness Day. (June 2)

* Sat., June 2 - National Trails Day®. (First Saturday in June)

* Sat., June 2 - Name Tag Day. (First Saturday in June)
Pittsburgh Name Tag Day Event.

* Sat., June 2, 1:00 p.m. EDT / 17:00 UTC - Moon at apogee: 251,852 statute miles / 405,317 kilometers.

* Sun., June 3 - National Cancer Survivors Day®. (First Sunday in June)

* Sun., June 3, 8:00 a.m. EDT / 12:00 UTC - Mars 3 degrees south of the Moon; as appears in the sky, closest passage at 6:55 a.m. EDT / 10:55 UTC.

* June 4 to 13, 8:00 to 10:00 p.m. Prevailing Local Time - CITIZEN SCIENCE - Annual Globe at Night campaign, to raise public awareness of the impact of light pollution by encouraging everyone everywhere to measure local levels of night sky brightness and contribute observations on-line to a world map. (Monthly)

* Mon., June 4 (1784) - French woman is first woman ride in a free-floating balloon. (June 4)

* Tue., June 5 - Reset the Net Day for privacy on the Internet. (June 5)

* Tue., June 5 - United Nations World Environment Day. (June 5)
( For 2010 United Nations World Environment Day Host City for North America: Pittsburgh.)

* Tue., June 5, 10:00 p.m. EDT / June 6, 2:00 UTC - Mercury in superior conjunction with the Sun (Mercury not visible, even with a telescope).

* Wed., June 6 (1944) - Anniversary of the D-Day Allied invasion of Normandy during World War II. (June 6)

* Wed., June 6 (1968) - 50th Anniversary: Assassination of U.S. Senator (D-NY) and Presidential Candidate Robert F. Kennedy. (June 6)

* Wed., June 6 - Mercury at aphelion.

* Wed., June 6, 2:32 p.m. EDT / 18:32 UTC - Primary Moon Phase: Last Quarter.

* Fri., June 8 - World Oceans Day. (June 8)

* Fri., June 8 (Best viewing: Midnight to Dawn) - Peak of Arietid Meteor Shower. (June 7 to 9)

* Fri., June 8, 4:37 a.m. EDT / 8:37 UTC - Venus appears close to Star Pollux.

* Sat., June 9 - National Get Outdoors Day. (Second Saturday in June)

* June 10 to 16 - OSHA Safe and Sound Week. (Second week of June)

* June 10 to 16 - National Flag Week. (Week including Flag Day, June 14)

* Sun., June 10 - National Children's Day. (Second Sunday in June)

* Sun., June 10, 2:10 a.m. EDT / 6:10 UTC - As appears in the sky, the Moon passes close to Uranus.

* Mon., June 11 (1638; originally recorded as June 1 O.S. of the Julian Calendar) - First earthquake recorded in North America: New England / St. Lawrence Valley region. (June 11)

* June 11 to 17 - Men's Health Week. (Week leading to and including Father's Day)

* June 11 to 17 - Work-Force Development Week. (Second week of June)

* Mon., June 11, 4:42 p.m. EDT / 20:42 UTC - Venus enters Constellation Cancer the Crab.

* Tue., June 12 - World Day Against Child Labour. (June 12)

* Wed., June 13, 3:43 p.m. EDT / 19:43 UTC - Primary Moon Phase: New Moon - Lunation # 1181.

* Thur., June 14 (1777) - Flag Day - USA. Anniversary of date U.S. Congress adopted 13 stars and 13 stripes as the American flag; now flag includes 50 stars for each of the 50 states in the Union. (June 14)

* Thur., June 14 - At mid-northern latitudes (~40 degrees North Latitude, which is the latitude of Pittsburgh), earliest sunrise of the year (Pittsburgh - earliest sunrise: 5:49 a.m. EDT / 9:49 UTC). (June 14)

* Thur., June 14, 9:43 a.m. EDT / 13:43 UTC - As appears in the sky, the Moon passes close to Mercury.

* Thur., June 14, 8:00 p.m. EDT / June 15, 0:00 UTC - Moon at perigee: 223,384 statute miles / 359,503 kilometers.

* June 15 to 22 - Cephalopod Week highlighting sea creatures including squids and octopi. (Science Friday / National Public Radio:Third week of June, dating Friday to Friday)

* Fri., June 15 - Wear Blue (Friday) Day to show their concern for the health and wellbeing of boys and men. (Friday of Men's Health Week / Friday before Fathers' Day)

* Fri., June 15 (1215) - Anniversary of the Magna Carta, also known as The Great Charter of the Liberties of England, originally issued. (June 15)

* Sat., June 16 - Bloomsday - Commemoration and celebration of the life of Irish writer James Joyce, during which the events of his novel Ulysses (which is set on 1904 June 16) are relived. (June 16)

* Sat., June 16, 8:38 a.m. EDT / 12:38 UTC - Venus 2 degrees north of the Moon.

* Sat., June 16, 4:00 p.m. EDT / 20:00 UTC - Moon 1.5 degrees south of the Beehive Open Star Cluster (M44).

* June 17 to 23 - Fire-Fighter Safety Stand-Down Week / Fire and Emergency Services Safety and Health Week. (Third week of June)

* Sun., June 17 - International Sun-Day, a celebration of Astronomy and our planet's very important star, the Sun. (Sunday near the Summer Solstice)

* Sun., June 17 - Fathers' Day. (Third Sunday in June)

* June 18 to 24 - National Pollinator Week. (June)

* Mon., June 18 - Phi Day. (June 18)

* Mon., June 18 - Autistic Pride Day about shifting views of autism from "disease" to "difference." (June 18)

* Mon., June 18 (1812) - Anniversary of the day the United States of America declared war on the British Empire, beginning the War of 1812. (June 18)

* Mon., June 18, 4:35 a.m. EDT / 8:35 UTC - Star Regulus 1.7 degrees south of the Moon.

* Tue., June 19 (1865) - Juneteenth Independence Day commemorating the day in 1865 when the State of Texas abolished slavery, and more generally the end of slavery in the former Confederate States of America. (June 19)

* Tue., June 19, 4:00 p.m. EDT / 20:00 UTC - Asteroid 4 Vesta at opposition (4 Vesta visible, with a telescope, approx. local sunset to local sunrise).

* Wed., June 20 - World Refugee Day. (June 20)

* Wed., June 20, 1:00 a.m. EDT / 5:00 UTC - Venus 0.4 degree north of the Beehive Open Star Cluster (M44).

* Wed., June 20, 6:51 a.m. EDT / 10:51 UTC - Primary Moon Phase: First Quarter.

* Wed., June 20, 12:00 Noon Mountain Daylight Saving Time (MDT) / 2:00 p.m. EDT / 18:00 UTC - Summer Solstice Annual Event - Single beam of sunlight shines on a silver dollar embedded in the floor of the Art Museum at the University of Wyoming in Laramie, Wyoming. (June 20)

* Thur., June 21 - "Dump the Pump" Day, sponsored by the American Public Transportation Association and local public transit agencies nationwide, including Pittsburgh's Port Authority of Allegheny County. (Third Thursday in June)

* Thur., June 21 - Recess at Work Day. (Third Thursday in June)

* Thur., June 21 - National Selfie Day. (June 21)

* Thur., June 21 - Make Music Day music festivals around the world on or near the day of the Summer Solstice. (June 21)

* Thur., June 21 - International Day of Yoga. (June 21)

* Thur., June 21 - National Aboriginal Day - Canada. (June 21)

* Thur., June 21, 6:07 a.m. EDT / 10:07 UTC - Summer Solstice; Season of Summer begins in Earth's Northern Hemisphere / Season of Winter begins in Earth's Southern Hemisphere. (June 20 to 22)
Also see ---
** Solstice 24 Celebration special one-hour celebration (5:00 to 6:00 p.m. / 17:00 to 18:00 local time) for each of the Earth's 24 time zones.
** 1985 to 1991: Summer "Solstice Day" Annual Free Day at Buhl Planetarium.

* June 23 to 24 - Ham Radio Field Day - When amateur radio operators test emergency radio operations. (Always the fourth full weekend In June)

* Sat., June 23 - Annual Pennsylvania Firefly Festival in the Allegheny National Forest near Tionesta, Pennsylvania, highlighting Synchronous Fireflies. (Fourth Saturday of June)

* Sat., June 23 {1868) - Date of patent for the first commercially successful typewriter. (June 23)

* Sat., June 23, 3:00 p.m. EDT / 19:00 UTC - Jupiter 4 degrees south of the Moon; as appears in the sky, closest approach 5:16 p.m. EDT / 21:16 UTC.

* June 24 to 30 - Lightning Safety Awareness Week; see also Pittsburgh Post-Gazette article. (June)

* Sun., June 24 - Midsummer Day (Date of Summer Solstice in Roman times)
and St. Jean Baptiste Day / Quebec National Holiday. (June 24)

* June 24 (1947) & July 2 (1947) - Both dates are celebrated as World UFO Day for the first two well-publicized sightings / events regarding what has come to be known as Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs) ---
** 1947 June 24: Sighting of 9 UFOs near Mount Rainier, Washington by businessman and private aircraft pilot Kenneth Arnold.
** 1947 July 2: Alleged crash, on the evening of 1947 July 4, of a UFO about 30-to-40 miles northwest of Roswell, New Mexico.
(June 24 & July 2)

* Sun., June 24, 9:05 p.m. EDT / June 25, 1:05 UTC - Mercury appears close to Star Pollux.

* Mon., June 25, late evening (1638) - The first astronomical event recorded by native Europeans in continental North America was a total lunar eclipse on 1638 June 25 to 26. (June 25)
Also see information on the total lunar eclipse used by Christopher Columbus to scare natives into providing food and other provisions for his sailors: Link 1 *** Link 2.

* Tue., June 26 (1974) - Introduction and first scanning of the Universal Product Code (UPC) bar-code, on a pack of Wrigley Company chewing gum. (June 26)

* Wed., June 27 - At mid-northern latitudes (~40 degrees North Latitude, which is the latitude of Pittsburgh), latest sunset of the year (Pittsburgh - latest sunset: 8:54 p.m. EDT / June 28, 0:54 UTC). (June 27)

* Wed., June 27 - National HIV Testing Day (NHTD). (June 27)

* Wed., June 27 - Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Awareness Day. (June 27)

* Wed., June 27 (1967) - First Automatic Teller Machine (ATM) goes into use at Barclays Bank's Enfield Town Branch in North London, England. (June 27)

* Wed., June 27, 5:00 a.m. EDT / 9:00 UTC - Asteroid 4 Vesta 0.3 degree south of the Moon; occultation: Micronesia, Republic of Kiribati, northern portion of French Polynesia, southern portion of Mexico, Central America, Galapagos Islands (part of Ecuador).

* Wed., June 27, 9:00 a.m. EDT / 13:00 UTC - Saturn at opposition (Saturn visible approx. local sunset to local sunrise).

* Wed., June 27, 11:50 p.m. EDT / June 28, 3:50 UTC - As appears in the sky, the Moon passes very close to Saturn.

* Thur., June 28 - Tau Day - Day celebrating the value of 2Pi (~6.28), designated Tau, the ratio of a circle's circumference to its radius. (June 28)
More on Tau Day.

* Thur., June 28, 12:00 Midnight EDT / 4:00 UTC - Saturn 1.8 degrees south of the Moon.

* Thur., June 28, 12:53 a.m. EDT / 4:53 UTC - Primary Moon Phase: Full Moon - Strawberry Moon.

* Fri., June 29, 5:11 a.m. EDT / 9:11 UTC - As appears in the sky, the Moon passes very close to Dwarf Planet Pluto.

. * Fri., June 29, 11:00 p.m. EDT / June 30, 3:00 UTC - Moon at apogee: 252,314 statute miles / 406,061 kilometers.

* Sat., June 30 [June 17 O.S. (Old Calendar System / Julian Calendar) used in Russia at the time] (1908) - Anniversary of the Tunguska Blast caused by an air blast of large meteoroid or comet fragment. (June 30)

* Sat., June 30 - Asteroid Day - Annual global awareness movement that brings people from around the world together to learn about asteroids and what we can do to protect our planet, our families, communities, and future generations. Asteroid Day is held on the anniversary of the 1908 June 30 Siberian Tunguska event, the largest asteroid impact on Earth in recent history. (June 30)

* Sat., June 30 - Social Media Day. (June 30)

* Sat., June 30 - Last day of calendar year Second Quarter. (June 30)

* Sat., June 30 - Last day of Fiscal Year - Pennsylvania. (June 30)

* Sat., June 30, 10:00 p.m. EDT / July 1, 2:00 UTC - Mars 5 degrees south of the Moon; as appears in the sky, closest approach June 30, 7:58 p.m. EDT / 23:58 UTC.

* Sat., June 30, 10:00 p.m. EDT / July 1, 2:00 UTC - Mars 5 degrees south of the Moon.

* July 1 to 3 (1863) - Anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania of the American Civil War: Link 1 *** Link 2. (July 1 to 3)

* Sun., July 1 (1867) - Anniversary: Dominion Day / Canada Day. (Canada: July 1).

* Sun., July 1 - First day of Fiscal Year - Pennsylvania. (July 1)

* Sun., July 1 - First day of calendar year. Third Quarter (July 1)

* Mon., July 2 - Mid-point of year 2018. (July 2)

* June 24 (1947) & July 2 (1947) - Both dates are celebrated as World UFO Day for the first two well-publicized sightings / events regarding what has come to be known as Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs) ---
** 1947 June 24: Sighting of 9 UFOs near Mount Rainier, Washington by businessman and private aircraft pilot Kenneth Arnold.
** 1947 July 2: Alleged crash, on the evening of 1947 July 4, of a UFO about 30-to-40 miles northwest of Roswell, New Mexico.
(June 24 & July 2)

* July 3 to Aug. 11 (approx.) - "The Dog Days of Summer": Link 1 *** Link 2. (July 3 to Aug. 11)

* Tue., July 3 (1918) - Centennial Anniversary: Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 (MBTA). (July 3)

* Tue., July 3, 9:59 p.m. EDT / July 4, 1:59 UTC - As appears in the sky, the Moon passes very close to Neptune.

* July 4 to 13, 8:00 to 10:00 p.m. Prevailing Local Time - CITIZEN SCIENCE - Annual Globe at Night campaign, to raise public awareness of the impact of light pollution by encouraging everyone everywhere to measure local levels of night sky brightness and contribute observations on-line to a world map. (Monthly)

* Wed., July 4 (1776) - USA Independence Day, traditionally celebrated with fireworks. Link 1 *** Link 2. (U.S.A.: July 4)

* Wed., July 4 (1054) - Anniversary of observation of a "Guest Star" (i.e. supernova), which created what today is known as the Crab Nebula. Supernova SN 1054 was observed in China, Japan, Baghdad, and by the Anasazi Pueblo Peoples in New Mexico. This was the first recorded observation of a major astronomical event in North America. (July 4)

* Wed., July 4 (2012) - Anniversary: Public announcement at CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research) of the discovery of the Higgs Boson, an elementary particle in the Standard Model of particle physics. (July 4)

* Wed., July 4, 11:00 a.m. EDT / 15:00 UTC - Mercury 0.7 degree south of the Beehive Open Cluster of Stars (M44) (very close approach 6:16 a.m. EDT / 10:16 UTC).

* Thur., July 5 (1687) - Publication of Sir Isaac Newton's Principia, regarding gravitation. (July 5)

* Fri., July 6 (1867) - First wedding taking place in a balloon - Mr. J. W. Smithson, of Philadelphia, and Miss Maggie E. Fornshell, of Wooster, Ohio, were married in a balloon over Pittsburgh. (July 6)

* Fri., July 6, 3:51 a.m. EDT / 7:51 UTC - Primary Moon Phase: Last Quarter.

* Fri., July 6, 1:00 p.m. EDT / 17:00 UTC - Earth at aphelion, furthest point in orbit from the Sun:94,507,803.179 statute miles / 152,095,566 kilometers. (Beginning of July)

* July 7 to September 7 (approx.) - Mars brightens to the third brightest object in the night sky, surpassing the brightness of Jupiter, as Mars and Earth get closer, the closest Mars and Earth have been in 15 years (closest approach on July 31). An excellent time to view Mars in a telescope or binoculars.

* Sat., July 7 - Beginning of the Japanese Star Festivals of Tanabata, which celebrates the meeting of the deities Orihime and Hikoboshi (represented by th e stars Vega and Altair respectively), which, according to legend, are kept separate by the Milky Way except once a year, on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month of the lunisolar calendar. (July 7)

* Sat., July 7, 12:42 p.m. EDT / 16:42 UTC - As appears in the sky, the Moon passes close to Uranus.

* Mon., July 9, 4:00 p.m. EDT / 20:00 UTC - Venus 1.1 degrees north of Star Regulus.

* Mon., July 9, 10:32 p.m. EDT / July 10, 2:32 UTC - As appears in the sky, Venus enters Constellation Virgo the Virgin.

* Tue., July 10 (1856) - Anniversary of birth of physicist and electrical engineer Nikola Tesla, who helped George Westinghouse in Pittsburgh perfect the Alternating Current form of Electricity: Link 1 *** Link 2. (July 10)
Also see: Tesla Coil.

* Tue., July 10, 6:00 a.m. EDT / 10:00 UTC - Star Aldebaran 1.1 degrees south of the Moon; occultation: northern and central portions of North America, most of Greenland, north-central portion of Russia.

* Wed., July 11 (1767) - Anniversary of birth of 6th U.S. President John Quincy Adams, America's Astronomy President. (July 11)

* Wed., July 11 - World Population Day. (United Nations: July 11)

* Wed., July 11 - All-American Pet Photo Day. (July 11)

* Thur., July 12 - National Summer Learning Day. (2nd Thursday of July)

* Thur., July 12, 6:00 a.m. EDT / 10:00 UTC - Dwarf Planet Pluto at opposition (visible approx. local sunset to local sunrise, using a telescope with a 12-inch / 30-centimeter or greater aperture).

* Thur., July 12, 8:20 p.m. EDT / July 13, 0:20 UTC - Manhattan-Henge - View of Full Sun on the Manhattan, New York City, east--west street grid: Link 1 *** Link 2. (July 12)

* Thur., July 12, 10:48 p.m. EDT / July 13, 2:48 UTC - Primary Moon Phase: New Moon - Lunation # 1182.

* Thur., July 12, 11:01:07.0 p.m. EDT / July 13, 3:01:07.0 UTC - Time of greatest eclipse for Partial Eclipse of the Sun / Partial Solar Eclipse, visible from the southeastern tip of Australia through the Antarctic Ocean to a tip of Antarctica: Link 1 *** Link 2 *** Link 3.
SOLAR ECLIPSE / ECLIPSE OF THE SUN: TIPS FOR SAFE VIEWING.

* Fri., July 13 - "Friday the 13th" superstition; debunking this superstition, purpose of character King Friday the 13th on popular PBS children's television series, Mister Rogers' Neighborhood (originated at WQED-TV channel 13 in Pittsburgh). (Friday the 13th)

* Fri., July 13, 4:00 a.m. EDT / 8:00 UTC - Moon at perigee: 222,097.32661 statute miles / 357,431 kilometers.
Large Tides Along Ocean Coast-Lines Predicted, due to Primary Moon Phase of New Moon (and Partial Solar Eclipse) only a few hours before the Moon's perigee.

* Fri., July 13, 8:21 p.m. EDT / July 14, 0:21 UTC - Manhattan-Henge - View of Half Sun on the Manhattan, New York City, east--west street grid: Link 1 *** Link 2. (July 13)

* Sat., July 14 (1965) - First close-up photographs taken of another planet: NASA fly-by spacecraft Mariner 4, which flew-by Mars. (July 14)

* Sat., July 14 (1789) - Bastille Day / French National Day, which celebrates the Storming of the Bastille in Paris at the beginning of the French Revolution. (July 14)

* Sat., July 14, 2:00 a.m. EDT / 6:00 UTC - Moon 1.4 degrees south of the Beehive Open Cluster of Stars (M44).

* Sat., July 14, 6:48 p.m. EDT / 22:48 UTC - Mercury 2 degrees south of the Moon.

* Sun., July 15 - St. Swithun's Day - According to tradition, the weather occurring on St. Swithun's Day will continue for forty days. This legend does have a scientific basis. At this time of year, for most years, the jet stream settles into a reasonably steady pattern until the end of August. (July 15)

* Sun., July 15 - National Ice Cream Day. (3rd Sunday in July)

* Sun., July 15, 1:24 p.m. EDT / 17:24 UTC - Star Regulus 1.8 degrees south of the Moon.

* Mon., July 16 (1945), 5:29:21 a.m. Mountain War Time (MWT) / 11:29:21 UTC (+ 2 seconds or - 2 seconds) - Anniversary: First test, at the Trinity Site in New Mexico, of the first atomic bomb. (July 16)

* Mon., July 16, 12:20 a.m. EDT / 4:20 UTC - Venus 1.6 degrees south of the Moon.

* Tue., July 17 - World Emoji Day for computer / electronic communication. (July 17)

* Wed., July 18 - Military Consumer Protection Day. (3rd Wednesday in July)

* Thur., July 19 - Dog Days of Summer: About 2200 years ago in Greece, date of the heliacal rising of Sirius; ancient mid-way point of "Dog Days of Summer": Link 1 *** Link 2. (July 19)

* Thur., July 19, 3:52 p.m. EDT / 19:52 UTC - Primary Moon Phase: First Quarter.

* Fri., July 20 (1969), 10:56:20 p.m. EDT / July 21, 2:56:20 UTC - "Moon Day" - Anniversary of the moment the first human (Neil Armstrong) set foot on the Earth's Moon, during the NASA mission of Apollo 11: Link 1 *** Link 2. (July 20)
Special Note: Neil Armstrong was originally scheduled to first step on the Moon during the early morning hours of Monday ("Moonday"), July 21. Although this historic moment actually occurred earlier than scheduled, during the July 20 television prime-time in America, it actually did occur on "Moonday," July 21 at 2:56:20 Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), the time-scale used by many scientists.
Also see: Personal remembrance of Apollo 11 mission.

* Fri., July 20 (1976) - Anniversary of the landing of the NASA space probe, Viking 1, on the surface of Mars, the first U.S. spacecraft to safely land on the Red Planet: Link 1 *** Link 2. (July 20)
Also see: Special NASA radio reports to the public, regarding the Viking Mission to Mars.

* Fri., July 20 - Mercury at aphelion.

* Fri., July 20, 8:00 p.m. EDT / July 21, 0:00 UTC - Jupiter 4 degrees south of the Moon (closest approach 10:34 p.m. EDT / July 21, 2:34 UTC).

* July 22 to 30 - National Moth Week - CITIZEN SCIENCE project where citizen scientists can help map moth distribution and provide needed information on other life history aspects around the globe. (Last full week of July)

* Sun., July 22 - Pi Approximation Day, a holiday commemorating the mathematical constant π (pi). (July 22: 22/7)

* Sun., July 22 - Parents' Day. (4th Sunday of July)

* Mon., July 23 - Hot Enough For Ya Day. (July 23)

* Wed., July 25 - "The Day Out of Time," the last day and extra day of the 13-Moon (each Moon or month consisting of 28 days), 364-day Mayan and "Galactic" year calendar: Link 1 *** Link 2. (July 25)

* Wed., July 25, 2:05 a.m. EDT / 6:05 UTC - Saturn 2 degrees south of the Moon.

* Thur., July 26 - First day of the 13-Moon (each Moon or month consisting of 28 days), 364-day "Galactic" year calendar, used for more than 5500 years by several cultures including the Maya, Inca, Druid, Egyptian, Essene, and the peoples of Polynesia. (July 26)

* Thur., July 26 - National Intern Day. (4th Thursday of July)

* Thur., July 26 (1990) - Anniversary: The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) signed into law by U.S. President George H.W. Bush: Link 1 *** Link 2 *** Link 3. (July 26)

* Thur., July 26, 9:55 a.m. EDT / 13:55 UTC - As appears in the sky, the Moon passes very close to the Dwarf Planet Pluto.

* Fri., July 27 - Computer System Administrator Appreciation Day. (Last Friday in July)

* Fri., July 27 (1953) - Armistice ends fighting in United Nations police action in Korea. (July 27)

* Fri., July 27, 1:00 a.m. EDT / 5:00 UTC - Mars at opposition (Mars visible approx. local sunset to local sunrise).

* Fri., July 27, 2:00 a.m. EDT / 6:00 UTC - Moon at apogee: 252,415.26982 statute miles / 406,223 Kilometers.

* Fri., July 27, 4:20 p.m. EDT / 20:20 UTC - Primary Moon Phase: Full Moon - Buck Moon.
Smallest appearance of the Full Moon for entire year.

* Fri., July 27, 4:21:43.5 p.m. EDT / 20:21:43.5 UTC - Time of greatest eclipse for a Total Eclipse of the Moon / Total Lunar Eclipse, visible in Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia. This eclipse will be the longest Total Lunar Eclipse in the 21st century (lasting approx. 1 hour, 43 minutes), as it occurs within a little more than a half-day of lunar apogee: Link 1 *** Link 2 *** Link 3.
Eclipses of the Moon / Lunar Eclipses are the only types of eclipses safe to look at with the naked-eyes, binoculars, or telescopes.

* Sat., July 28, 5:00 a.m. EDT / 9:00 UTC (Best viewing: Midnight to Dawn) - Peak of S. Delta-Aquarid Meteor Shower. (July 27 to 29)

* Sat., July 28 - World Hepatitis Day. (July 28)

* Sat., July 28 (1914) - Commencement of World War I: Link 1 *** Link 2. (July 28)

* Sun., July 29 - Annual Rain Day in Waynesburg, Pennsylvania, about 50 statute miles / 80.4672 kilometers south of Pittsburgh. (July 29)

* Sun., July 29 (1958) - 60th Anniversary: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) established by U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower, absorbing the former National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA: established 1915 March 3) with its Special Committee on Space Technology (established 1958 January 12): Link 1 *** Link 2. (July 29)

* Mon., July 30 - World Day against Trafficking in Persons. (July 30)

* Mon., July 30, 3:21 a.m. EDT / 7:21 UTC - Double-shadow (shadows of 2 Galilean Moons) transit on Jupiter; visible, with difficulty, through telescope after sunset or before sunrise.

* Tue., July 31 - Dog Days of Summer: Rising of Sirius (the "Dog Star") ahead of the Sun (however, Sirius not visible until, at least, Aug. 7, due to glare of the Sun). (July 31)

* Tue., July 31 - Launch: Planned launch of NASA Parker Solar Probe.

* Tue., July 31, 3:09 a.m. EDT / 7:09 UTC - As appears in the sky, the Moon passes very close to Neptune.

* Tue., July 31, 4:00 a.m. EDT / 8:00 UTC - Mars at closest approach to Earth in 15 years! An excellent time to view Mars in a telescope or binoculars.

* Wed., Aug. 1 - Astronomical Mid-Point of Summer - Traditional Astronomical Cross-Quarter Day, also known as “Lammas” (in the United Kingdom) and “Lughnassad” (in Ireland). Considered approximate date of First Harvest (third traditional cross-quarter day of the year), approximately between the Midsummer Solstice and the Autumnal Equinox (July 31 Eve to Aug. 1).
Actual Cross-Quarter Day.

* Tue., Aug. 7, 9:27 a.m. EDT / 13:27 UTC - Astronomical Mid-Point of Summer - Actual Astronomical Cross-Quarter Day (halfway between the June Solstice and September Equinox: ~Aug. 6 to 7).
Traditional Cross-Quarter Day.

* July 3 to Aug. 11 (approx.) - "The Dog Days of Summer": Link 1 *** Link 2. (July 3 to Aug. 11).

* July 7 to September 7 (approx.) - Mars brightens to the third brightest object in the night sky, surpassing the brightness of Jupiter, as Mars and Earth get closer, the closest Mars and Earth have been in 15 years (closest approach on July 31). An excellent time to view Mars in a telescope or binoculars.

* Tue., July 31 - Dog Days of Summer: Rising of Sirius (the "Dog Star") ahead of the Sun (however, Sirius not visible until, at least, Aug. 7, due to glare of the Sun). (July 31)

* Aug. 1 to 7 - World Breast-Feeding Week (WBW). (Aug. 1 to 7)

* Aug. 1 to 7 - National Minority Donor Awareness Week. (Aug. 1 to 7)

* Wed., Aug. 1 (1818) - Anniversary of the birth of America's first professional woman astronomer, Maria Mitchell, who won a gold medal prize presented by the King of Denmark, for her discovery of a comet named in her honor: Miss Mitchell's Comet. (Aug. 1)

* Wed., Aug. 1 - Astronomical Mid-Point of Summer - Traditional Astronomical Cross-Quarter Day, also known as “Lammas” (in the United Kingdom) and “Lughnassad” (in Ireland). Considered approximate date of First Harvest (third traditional cross-quarter day of the year), approximately between the Midsummer Solstice and the Autumnal Equinox. (July 31 Eve to Aug. 1)
Actual Cross-Quarter Day.

* Wed., Aug. 1 - Lemonade Day in Western Pennsylvania, to teach children entrepreneurship and business.

* Thur., Aug. 2, 4:18 p.m. EDT / 20:18 UTC - Double-shadow (shadows of 2 Galilean Moons) transit on Jupiter; visible, with difficulty, through telescope after sunset or before sunrise.

* Aug. 2 to 11, 8:00 to 10:00 p.m. Prevailing Local Time - CITIZEN SCIENCE - Annual Globe at Night campaign, to raise public awareness of the impact of light pollution by encouraging everyone everywhere to measure local levels of night sky brightness and contribute observations on-line to a world map.

* Fri., Aug. 3 - National Watermelon Day. (Aug. 3)

* Fri., Aug. 3, 8:31 p.m. EDT / Aug. 4, 0:31 UTC - As it appears in the sky, the Moon moves close to Uranus.

* Sat., Aug. 4, 2:18 p.m. EDT / 18:18 UTC - Primary Moon Phase: Last Quarter.

* Sat., Aug. 4, 7:00 p.m. EDT / 23:00 UTC - Asteroid 3 Juno 1.2 degrees south of the Moon; occultation: Eastern Europe, western portion of Russia, Scandinavia, northeastern portion of Greenland, extreme northern tip of Canada.

* Aug. 5 to 11 - National Farmers Market Week. (First full week of August)

* Aug. 5 to 11 - National Stop on Red Week. (First full week of August)

* Sun., Aug. 5 - Friendship Day. (First Sunday in August)

* Sun., Aug. 5, 2:34 p.m. EDT / 18:34 UTC - Mercury closest to Earth.

* Mon., Aug. 6 - Civic Holiday in certain Canadian provinces. (First Monday in August)

* Mon., Aug. 6 (1945), 8:15:43 a.m. Hiroshima Time (Japan Standard Time) / Aug. 5, 7:15:43 p.m. Eastern War Time / Aug. 5, 23:15:43 UTC - Anniversary of the first war-time use of an Atomic Bomb over Hiroshima, Japan. (Aug. 6)

* Mon., Aug. 6, 5:16 a.m. EDT / 9:16 UTC - Double-shadow (shadows of 2 Galilean Moons) transit on Jupiter; visible, with difficulty, through telescope after sunset or before sunrise.

* Mon., Aug. 6, 3:00 p.m. EDT / 19:00 UTC - Star Aldebaran 1.1 degrees south of the Moon; occultation: Mongolia, central portion of Russia, Svalbard Islands (of Norway), majority of Greenland, northern tip of Canada.

* Tue., Aug. 7 - National Lighthouse Day. (Aug. 7)

* Tue., Aug. 7 - Purple Heart Day. (Aug. 7)

* Tue., Aug. 7, 9:00 a.m. EDT / 13:00 UTC - Asteroid 2 Pallas in conjunction with the Sun (2 Pallas not visible, even with a telescope).

* Tue., Aug. 7, 9:27 a.m. EDT / 13:27 UTC - Astronomical Mid-Point of Summer - Actual Astronomical Cross-Quarter Day (halfway between the June Solstice and September Equinox: ~Aug. 6 to 7).
Traditional Cross-Quarter Day.

* Tue., Aug. 7, Evening - National Night Out. (First Tuesday in August)

* Wed., Aug. 8 - International Cat Day. (Aug. 8)

* Wed., Aug. 8 (1786) - US Congress adopts silver dollar & decimal system of money. (Aug. 8)

* Wed., Aug. 8, 10:00 p.m. EDT / Aug. 9, 2:00 UTC - Mercury in inferior conjunction (Mercury not visible, even with a telescope).

* Thur., Aug. 9 (1945) - Anniversary of the second and last war-time use of an Atomic Bomb over Nagasaki, Japan. (Aug. 9)

* Thur., Aug. 9 (1974) - Anniversary of the first resignation of an American President. As a consequence of the Watergate Scandal, and prior to the U.S. House of Representatives approving three Articles of Impeachment of the President, the resignation of U.S. President Richard M. Nixon took effect at 12:00 Noon, after announcing his resignation on a nationally broadcast address the previous evening; recently appointed Vice President Gerald R. Ford, Jr. (who had been approved by the U.S. Senate for the appointment as Vice President after the resignation of Vice President Spiro T. Agnew) assumed the U.S. Presidency.
President Nixon's signature appears on the historic plaque left on the Moon at the site of the landing of the Lunar Excursion Module (LEM) of the Apollo 11 mission, where the first two humans set-foot on the Moon. President Nixon also spoke with NASA Astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, while they were on the Moon, in a conversation President Nixon called "the most historic phone call ever made from the White House." (Aug. 9)

* Thur., Aug. 9, 6:13 p.m. EDT / 22:13 UTC - Double-shadow (shadows of 2 Galilean Moons) transit on Jupiter; visible, with difficulty, through telescope after sunset or before sunrise.

* Aug. 10, 11, 12 weekend and September 7, 8, 9, weekend, 30 minutes before sunset - A Swift Night-Out - CITIZEN SCIENCE PROJECT to observe bird roosts of Chimney Swifts and Vaux's Swifts.
More on Citizen Science & Chimey Swifts. (Second Weekend August and September: Friday, Saturday, Sunday)

* Fri., Aug. 10 (1846) - Founding of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC, originally from the bequest of British chemist James Smithson. The founding was spearheaded by Massachusetts Congressman and former U.S. President John Quincy Adams. (Aug. 10)
Samuel Pierpont Langley, second Director of Pittsburgh's Allegheny Observatory, became the third Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, then considered the greatest scientific appointment in the nation.

* Fri., Aug. 10 - World Lion Day. (Aug. 10)

* Fri., Aug. 10, 2:00 p.m. EDT / 18:00 UTC - Moon at perigee: 222,499 statute miles / 358,078 kilometers.
Large tides predicted along ocean coast-lines due to New Moon Primary Moon Phase the next day.

* Fri., Aug. 10, after Sunset - International Starry Night. (Aug. 10 - just before peak of annual Perseid Meteor Shower)

* Fri., Aug. 10, 11:16 p.m. EDT / Aug. 11, 3:16 UTC - As it appears in the sky, the Moon moves close to Mercury.

* Aug. 11 to 17, after Sunset - International Starlight Week. (Week coinciding with annual Perseid Meteor Shower)

* Sat., Aug. 11 - For +40 degrees North Latitude (Latitude of Pittsburgh), annual Heliacal Rising of the Star Sirius (Dog Star), the brightest star in the night sky, the first time Sirius can be seen in the morning sky for the year. In ancient times, the Heliacal Rising of Sirius coincided with the flooding of the Nile River, which was and still is Egypt's life-line; the Heliacal Rising of Procyon (Little Dog Star), which annually occurred a little ahead of the Heliacal Rising of Sirius, gave the ancients extra warning for the soon-Heliacal Rising of Sirius. At that time, it was thought that the heat from the brightest star (Sirius), rising near the same time as the rising of the Sun, contributed to the great heat of the Summer Season. (Aug. 11)

* Sat., Aug. 11, 3:48 a.m. EDT / 7:48 UTC - Launch: Planned launch of NASA Parker Solar Probe.

* Sat., Aug. 11, 5:46:18.8 a.m. EDT / 9:46:18.8 UTC - Time of greatest eclipse for a Partial Solar Eclipse (last Eclipse of the year & third Partial Solar Eclipse of the year), visible in the Northern Hemisphere (northeastern portion of Canada, Greenland, Iceland, Northern Europe, northern and eastern Asia): Link 1 *** Link 2 *** Link 3.
SOLAR ECLIPSE / ECLIPSE OF THE SUN: TIPS FOR SAFE VIEWING.

* Sat., Aug. 11, 5:58 a.m. EDT / 9:58 UTC - Primary Moon Phase: New Moon - Lunation # 1183.

* Aug. 12 to 18 - National Health Center Week. (Second full week of August)

* Sun., Aug. 12 - World Elephant Day. (Aug. 12)

* Sun., Aug. 12 - International Youth Day. (Aug. 12)

* Sun., Aug. 12 - Middle Child's Day. (Aug. 12)

* Sun., Aug. 12, 9:00 p.m. EDT / Aug. 13, 1:00 UTC (Best viewing: Aug. 11, 12, & 13, Midnight to Dawn) - Peak of Perseid Meteor Shower, considered one of the best of the year! (Aug. 11 to 13).
Also see: NASA: Perseid Meteor Shower Has Most Fireballs.

* Sun., Aug. 12, 10:14 p.m. EDT / Aug. 13, 2:14 UTC - Mars enters the Constellation Capricornus the Horned Goat.

* Mon., Aug. 13 - International Lefthanders Day. (Aug. 13)

* Mon., Aug. 13, 6:10 a.m. EDT / 11:10 UTC - Double-shadow (shadows of 2 Galilean Moons) transit on Jupiter; visible, with difficulty, through telescope after sunset or before sunrise.

* Tue., Aug. 14 - Public Housing Health Centers Day. (Tuesday of National Health Center Week)

* Tue., Aug. 14, 10:00 a.m. EDT / 14:00 UTC - Venus 6 degrees south of the Moon.

* Tue., Aug. 14, 1:30 p.m. EDT / 17:30 UTC - As it appears in the sky, the Moon moves close to Venus.

* Wed., Aug. 15 (1877) - Anniversary of Establishment of Telephone Greeting "Hello" - In preparation for introduction of the telephone in the city of Pittsburgh, in an unpublished letter from Thomas A. Edison to T.B.A. David, President of Pittsburgh's Central District and Printing Telegraph Company, Mr. Edison suggested "I don't think we shall need a call bell as Hello! can be heard 10 to 20 feet away." (Aug. 15)

* Wed., Aug. 15 (1945) - Anniversary of the announcement of the surrender of Japan and end of World War II (Aug. 15).
Victory Over Japan Day (United Kingdom) - Day of initial announcement of Japan surrender ending World War II. (Aug. 15)
Celebrated on September 2 in USA, for formal surrender on Battleship USS Missouri.

* Wed., Aug. 15 - Relaxation Day. (Aug. 15)

* Wed., Aug. 15 - Health Care for the Homeless Day. (Wednesday of National Health Center Week)

* Wed., Aug. 15, 1:39 a.m. EDT / 5:39 UTC - Double-shadow (shadows of 2 Galilean Moons) transit on Jupiter; visible, with difficulty, through telescope after sunset or before sunrise.

* Wed., Aug. 15, 5:39 a.m. EDT / 9:39 UTC - Dog Days of Summer: First visible (Sirius rises ahead of Sun at 7 degrees altitude) Heliacal rising of Sirius; modern mid-way point in "The Dog Days of Summer". (~ Aug. 7 to 15)

* Aug. 16 to 19 - Pledge to Fledge ! campaign for birders to share their love and information about the birding hobby with others. (Third weekend in August)

* Thur., Aug. 16 - Farmworker Health Day. (Thursday of National Health Center Week)

* Thur., Aug. 16 - Rollercoaster Day. (Aug. 16)

* Thur., Aug. 16, 8:08 p.m. EDT / Aug. 17, 0:08 UTC - Double-shadow (shadows of 2 Galilean Moons) transit on Jupiter; visible, with difficulty, through telescope after sunset or before sunrise.

* Fri., Aug. 17 - Black Cat Appreciation Day. (Aug. 17)

* Fri., Aug. 17 - National Thriftshop Day. (Aug. 17)

* Fri., Aug. 17, 7:00 a.m. EDT / 11:00 UTC - Jupiter 5 degrees south of the Moon.

* Fri., Aug. 17, 9:13 a.m. EDT / 13:13 UTC - As it appears in the sky, the Moon moves close to Jupiter.

* Sat., Aug.18 - World Honey Bee Day. (3rd Saturday in August)

* Sat., Aug.18 - Clear the (Animal) Shelters Day. (3rd Saturday in August)

* Sat., Aug.18 - Serendipity Day. (Aug. 18)

* Sat., Aug.18, 3:49 a.m. EDT / 7:49 UTC - Primary Moon Phase: First Quarter.

* Sun., Aug. 19 (1871) - National Aviation Day, anniversary of the 1871 birth of Orville Wright, who with brother Wilbur, is credited with the first powered flight of a man. (Aug. 19)

* Sun., Aug. 19 (1839) - World Photography Day - Anniversary of the release of the first practical photographic process patent. (Aug. 19)

* Sun., Aug. 19 - World Humanitarian Day. (Aug. 19)

* Aug. 19 to 25 - National Book Week Australia. (Last week of August)

* Mon., Aug. 20 (1920) - National Radio Day. (Aug. 20)
This was the day, in 1920, when The Detroit News-owned amateur radio station 8MK began regular broadcasting; today, this station is all-news WWJ-AM 950.

* Mon., Aug. 20, 9:16 a.m. EDT / 13:16 UTC - Double-shadow (shadows of 2 Galilean Moons) transit on Jupiter; visible, with difficulty, through telescope after sunset or before sunrise.

* Tue., Aug. 21, 5:53 a.m. EDT / 9:53 UTC - As it appears in the sky, the Moon moves very close to Saturn.

* Tue., Aug. 21, 6:00 a.m. EDT / 10:00 UTC - Saturn 2 degrees south of the Moon.

* Wed., Aug. 22, 4:50 a.m. EDT / 8:50 UTC - Double-shadow (shadows of 2 Galilean Moons) transit on Jupiter; visible, with difficulty, through telescope after sunset or before sunrise.

* Wed., Aug. 22, 3:01 p.m. EDT / 19:01 UTC - As it appears in the sky, the Moon moves very close to Dwarf Planet Pluto.

* Thur., Aug. 23 (1991) - Internaut Day - Anniversary, in 1991, of the Internet's World Wide Web (www). (Aug. 23)

* Thur., Aug. 23 - Health Unit Coordinator Day. (Aug. 23)

* Thur., Aug. 23 - International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition. (Aug. 23)

* Thur., Aug. 23, 7:00 a.m. EDT / 11:00 UTC - Moon at apogee: 252,118 statute miles / 405,746 kilometers.

* Thur., Aug. 23, 10:35 p.m. EDT / Aug. 24, 2:35 UTC - Double-shadow (shadows of 2 Galilean Moons) transit on Jupiter; visible, with difficulty, through telescope after sunset or before sunrise.

* Fri., Aug. 24 (A.D. 79) - Historic eruption of Mount Vesuvius, in what is now Italy, which resulted in the destruction and burying of Pompeii and Herculaneum, among other settlements. (Aug. 24)

* Aug. 25 to 31 - Black Breast-Feeding Week. (Aug. 25 to 31)

* Sat., Aug. 25 - World Doctorates Day. (Aug. 25)

* Sat., Aug. 25 (1916) - Anniversary (1916: Centennial): Establishment of the United States Department of the Interior's National Park Service. (Aug. 25)

* Sat., Aug. 25 - National Kiss and Make-Up Day. (Aug. 25)

* Sun., Aug. 26 (1920) - Women's Equality Day - Anniversary: Certification of 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution, granting women the right to vote. (Aug. 26)

* Sun., Aug. 26 - National Dog Day. (Aug. 26)

* Sun., Aug. 26, 7:56 a.m. EDT / 11:56 UTC - Primary Moon Phase: Full Moon - Sturgeon Moon.

* Mon., Aug. 27 (1883) - Historic eruption of the Krakatoa Volcano in the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia). (Aug. 27)
Loudest sound heard by man, in recorded history.

* Mon., Aug. 27, 7:45 a.m. EDT / 11:45 UTC - As it appears in the sky, the Moon moves very close to Neptune.

* Mon., Aug. 27, 11:54 a.m. EDT / 15:54 UTC - Double-shadow (shadows of 2 Galilean Moons) transit on Jupiter; visible, with difficulty, through telescope after sunset or before sunrise.

* Tue., Aug. 28 (1912) - Anniversary: New Allegheny Observatory building dedicated. (Aug. 28)

* Thur., Aug. 30 (1955) - De-facto beginning date of the "Space Race" between the United States of America and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (now known as the Russian Federation). (Aug. 30)

* Thur., Aug. 30 - Grief Awareness Day. (Aug. 30)

* Fri., Aug. 31 - International Overdose Awareness Day (IOAD). (Aug. 31)

* Fri., Aug. 31, 1:12 a.m. EDT / 5:12 UTC - Double-shadow (shadows of 2 Galilean Moons) transit on Jupiter; visible, with difficulty, through telescope after sunset or before sunrise.

* Fri., Aug. 31, 1:48 a.m. EDT / 5:48 UTC - As it appears in the sky, the Moon moves close to Uranus.

* Fri., Aug. 31 (1991), 5:00 p.m. EDT / 21:00 UTC - Anniversary of the closing of The Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science as a public museum in Pittsburgh, which was dedicated as America's fifth major planetarium on 1939 October 24. (Aug. 31)

* Sat., Sept. 1 (Best viewing: Midnight to Dawn) - Peak of Aurigid Meteor Shower. (Sept. 1)

* July 7 to September 7 (approx.) - Mars brightens to the third brightest object in the night sky, surpassing the brightness of Jupiter, as Mars and Earth get closer, the closest Mars and Earth have been in 15 years (closest approach on July 31). An excellent time to view Mars in a telescope or binoculars.

* Sept. 1 to 10, 8:00 to 10:00 p.m. Prevailing Local Time - CITIZEN SCIENCE - Annual Globe at Night campaign, to raise public awareness of the impact of light pollution by encouraging everyone everywhere to measure local levels of night sky brightness and contribute observations on-line to a world map.

* Sept. 1 to 30, Each Evening - Vaux’s Swifts Watch at Chapman School, Portland, Oregon - Public can view a spectacular display of Vaux’s Swift birds as they gather to roost in the school’s chimney. Volunteers from Portland Audubon will be present each night with information about the swifts, binoculars and a spotting scope for viewing. (Sept. 1 to 30)

* Sat., Sept. 1 - Beginning of Meteorological Season of Autumn in the Northern Hemisphere (Sept. 1).

* Sat., Sept. 1 - Beginning of Spring Season in Australia. (Sept. 1)

* Sat., Sept. 1 - . Mid-point in Atlantic Ocean Hurricane Season. (Sept. 1)

* Sat., Sept. 1 (1914) - Anniversary: Passing of Martha in the Cincinnati Zoo, the last Passenger Pigeon, marking the extinction of the species, due to hunting and habitat destruction. Also see Project Passenger Pigeon. (Sept. 1)

* Sat., Sept. 1 (1939) - Anniversary: Beginning of World War II. (Sept. 1)

* Sat., Sept. 1 (2017) - Anniversary: Asteroid 3122 Florence (named in honor of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing) passes within 4.4 million miles / 7 million kilometers of Earth (18 times the distance between the Earth and the Moon). The largest asteroid to pass Earth since NASA started tracking asteroids, this asteroid measures 2.7 miles in diameter. (Sept. 1)

* Sat., Sept. 1 - International Vulture Awareness Day - Highlights an ecologically vital group of birds that face a range of threats, including possible extinction for certain species. (First Saturday in September)

* Sat., Sept. 1 (Best viewing: Midnight to Dawn) - Peak of Aurigid Meteor Shower. (Sept. 1)

* Sat., Sept. 1, 8:00 a.m. EDT / 12:00 UTC - As it appears in the sky, Venus approaches very close to the Star Spica.

* Sept. 2 to 14 (1752) - Anniversary: Adoption, by the British Empire including the American Colonies, of the Gregorian Calendar Reform: the Julian Calendar day of Wednesday, 1752 September 2 O.S. (Old System) was followed by the first day of the Gregorian Calendar, Thursday, 1752 September 14 N.S. (New System). The original Gregorian Calendar Reform occurred when Thursday,1582 October 4 O.S. was followed by Friday, 1582 October 15 N.S.. Gregorian Calendar enacted by the Roman Catholic Church to bring the calendar back into synchronization with the seasons. (Sept. 2 to 14)

* Sun., Sept. 2 (1945) - Anniversary: Victory Over Japan Day / V-J Day (USA) - Day Japan formally surrendered, on Battleship USS Missouri, ending World War II. (Sept. 2)
Celebrated on August 15 in the United Kingdom, for initial announcement of Japan's surrender. (Sept. 2)

* Sun., Sept. 2 - Mercury at perihelion.

* Sun., Sept. 2, 5:00 a.m. EDT / 9:00 UTC - Venus 1.4 degrees south of Star Spica.

* Sun., Sept. 2, 10:00 p.m. EDT / Sept. 3, 2:00 UTC - Star Aldebaran 1.2 degrees south of the Moon; occultation: Greenland, far northern Canada.

* Sun., Sept. 2, 10:37 p.m. EDT / Sept. 3, 2:37 UTC - Primary Moon Phase: Last Quarter.

* Sept. 3 to 7 - National Payroll Week. (First business week of September, beginning on Labor Day)

* Mon., Sept. 3 (1783) - Anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Paris, which formally ended St. Augustine, Floridathe American Revolutionary War. (Sept. 3)

* Mon., Sept. 3 - Labor Day. (Federal Holiday: U.S.A. - First Monday in September)

* Mon., Sept. 3, 2:31 p.m. EDT / 18:31 UTC - Double-shadow (shadows of 2 Galilean Moons) transit on Jupiter; visible, with difficulty, through telescope after sunset or before sunrise.

* Tue., Sept. 4 (1882) - First practical, outdoor electric lighting: Thomas Elva Edison's Direct Current (DC) system in New York City. (Sept. 4)

* Wed., Sept. 5 - Zodiacal Light dimly visible in northern lattitudes in eastern sky, before morning twilight, for next two weeks. (September, October)

* Wed., Sept. 5 - Venus at aphelion.

* Wed., Sept. 5, 7:00 p.m. EDT / 23:00 UTC - Mercury 1.0 degree north of Star Regulus (closest approach, as it appears in the sky, 10:56 p.m. EDT / Sept. 6, 2:56 UTC).

* Thur., Sept. 6 (1966), 7:30 p.m. EDT / 23:30 UTC - Anniversary of world premiere [U.S. premiere on Sept. 8 (1966)] of influential, science-fiction television series, Star Trek, on the CTV television network in Canada. (Sept. 6)

* Thur., Sept. 6, 10:15 p.m. EDT / Sept. 7, 2:15 UTC - The Moon 1.4 degrees south of the Beehive Open Cluster of Stars.

* Aug. 10, 11, 12 weekend and September 7, 8, 9, weekend, 30 minutes before sunset - A Swift Night-Out - CITIZEN SCIENCE PROJECT to observe bird roosts of Chimney Swifts and Vaux's Swifts.
More on Citizen Science & Chimey Swifts. (Second Weekend - August and September: Friday, Saturday, Sunday)

* Fri., Sept. 7, 3:50 a.m. EDT / 7:50 UTC - Double-shadow (shadows of 2 Galilean Moons) transit on Jupiter; visible, with difficulty, through telescope after sunset or before sunrise.

* Fri., Sept. 7, 2:00 p.m. EDT / 18:00 UTC - Neptune at opposition (Neptune visible approx. local sunset to local sunrise).

* Fri., Sept. 7, 9:00 p.m. EDT / Sept. 8, 1:00 UTC - The Moon at perigee: 224,533 statute miles / 361,351 kilometers.

* Sept. 8 to 16 - National Drive Electric Week. (Second week of September, including the whole weekends on both ends of the week)

* Sat., Sept. 8 - International Literacy Day. (Sept. 8)

* Sat., Sept. 8 (1565) - Founding of the oldest, continuously-occupied settlement in the continental United States: St. Augustine, Florida. (Sept. 8)

* Sat., Sept. 8 (1966), 8:30 p.m. EDT / Sept. 9 (1966), 0:30 UTC - Anniversary of U.S. premiere [world premiere on Sept. 6 (1966)] of influential, science-fiction television series, Star Trek, on the NBC television network. (Sept. 8)

* Sat., Sept. 8 - World First Aid Day. (Second Saturday in September)

* Sun., Sept. 9 - Grandparents Day. (First Sunday after Labor Day)

* Sept. 9, Sunset (Sunset in Pittsburgh: 7:39 p.m. EDT / 23:39 UTC) to Sept. 11, Sunset (Sunset in Pittsburgh: 7:35 p.m. EDT / 23:35 UTC) - Rosh Hashanah - Jewish New Year: Link 1 *** Link 2.
Days in the Hebrew calendar begin at sunset. Although the Jewish calendar is based on the Lunar Cycle, so that the first day of each month originally began with the first sighting of a New Moon, since the Fourth Century it has been arranged so that Rosh Hashanah never falls on a Sunday, Wednesday, or Friday (although, by the Gregorian Calendar, it may look like the holiday begins on a Sunday, Wednesday, or Friday, by the Hebrew Calendar the next day actually begins at sunset).

* Sun., Sept. 9, 2:01 p.m. EDT / 18:01 UTC - Primary Moon Phase: New Moon - Lunation # 1184.

* Mon., Sept. 10 - Traditional peak in Atlantic Ocean Hurricane Season. (Sept. 10)

* Mon., Sept. 10 - Swap Ideas Day. (Sept. 10)

* Mon., Sept. 10 - World Suicide Prevention Day. (Sept. 10)

* Mon., Sept. 10 - National TV Dinner Day. (Sept. 10)

* Mon., Sept. 10, Sunset (Sunset in Pittsburgh: 7:37 p.m. EDT / 23:37 UTC) - Islamic New Year ( Muharram): Based on lunar calendar, but the New Moon must be observable ( astronomical considerations).

* Mon., Sept. 10, 8:56 p.m. EDT / Sept. 11, 0:56 UTC - Mars enters Constellation Aquarius the Water Bearer.

* Tue., Sept. 11 (2001) - Patriot Day - In commemoration of the 9/11 attacks in New York, Washington, and Shanksville, Pennsylvania (79 miles southeast of Pittsburgh) in 2001. (Sept. 11)
Also 9 / 11 National Day of Service. (Sept. 11)

* Wed., Sept. 12 (1962) - U.S. President John F. Kennedy addressed 35,000 people in a football stadium at Rice University in Houston, saying in part:
"We choose to go to the Moon! ...We choose to go to the Moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard; because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one we intend to win ..." (Sept. 12)

* Thur., Sept. 13, 10:00 p.m. EDT / Sept. 14, 2:00 UTC - Jupiter 4 degrees south of the Moon.

* Fri., Sept. 14 (1814) - Anniversary of the song, The Star Spangled Banner, which became America's National Anthem in 1931. (Sept.14)

* Fri., Sept. 14, 12:43 a.m. EDT / 4:43 UTC - As it appears in the sky, the Moon approaches close to Jupiter.

* Sat., Sept. 15 - Software Freedom Day. (Third Saturday in September)

* Sat., Sept. 15 - National Tell a Police Officer "Thank You!" Day. (Sept. 15)

* Sept. 16 to 22 - International Book Week. (Third week of September)

* Sept. 16 to 22 - Child Passenger Safety Week. (Third week of September)

* Sept. 16 to 22 - National Heroin and Opioid Awareness Week. (Third week of September)

* Sept. 16 to 22 - National Wellness Week. (Third week of September)

* Sun., Sept. 16 - Solar Sidewalk Sun-Day - Annual Sidewalk Astronomers public solar observing event, scheduled each year on the Sunday closest to John Dobson's birthday: Sept. 14. (Sunday closest to Sept. 14)

* Sun., Sept. 16 - Mars at perihelion.

* Sun., Sept. 16, 7:15 p.m. EDT / 23:15 UTC - Primary Moon Phase: First Quarter.

* Sept. 17 to 23 (1990) - Anniversary of the enactment of the Pollution Prevention Act of 1990 - Pollution Prevention Week. (Third full week of September, beginning on Monday)

* Sept. 17 to 23 - Constitution Week promotes study and education about the U.S. Constitution which was originally adopted by the American Congress of the Confederation on September 17, 1787. (Sept. 17 to 23)

* Mon., Sept. 17 - Constitution Day / Citizenship Day - Commemorates the day of signing of the U.S. Constitution at the Constitutional Convention in 1787. (Sept. 17)

* Mon., Sept. 17, 12:44 p.m. EDT / 16:44 UTC - Saturn 2 degrees south of the Moon.

* Sept. 18, 19, 20, - National Postal Customer Council Week. (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday of third week of September)

* Tue., Sept. 18 (1947) - Formation of the United States Air Force, as part of the National Security Act of 1947, which also included formation of the Department of Defense (DOD), Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), National Security Council, and the Joint Chiefs of Staff. (Sept. 18)

* Tue., Sept. 18, Sunset (Sunset in Pittsburgh: 7:24 p.m. EDT / 23:24 UTC) - Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, is the holiest day of the Hebrew faith. It occurs each year on the 10th day of the Jewish month of Tishrei, which is 9 days after the first day of Rosh Hashanah. The Jewish calendar is based on the Lunar Cycle, so that the first day of each month originally began with the first sighting of a New Moon.

* Tue., Sept. 18, 9:17 p.m. EDT / Sept. 19, 1:17 UTC - As it appears in the sky, Moon approaches close to Dwarf Planet Pluto.

* Wed., Sept. 19 - 'No Text on Board' Pledge Day (TXTNG & DRIVNG...IT CAN WAIT). (Sept. 19)

* Wed., Sept. 19, 9:00 p.m. EDT / Sept. 20, 1:00 UTC - The Moon at apogee: 251,578 statute miles / 404,876 kilometers.

* Thur., Sept. 20, 3:00 a.m. EDT / 7:00 UTC - Mars 5 degrees south of the Moon (as it appears in the sky, closest approach 1:20 a.m. EDT / 5:20 UTC).

* Fri., Sept. 21 - National POW / MIA Recognition Day. (Third Friday in September)

* Fri., Sept. 21 - Park(ing) Day is an annual worldwide event where artists, designers and citizens transform metered parking spots into temporary public parks. (Third Friday in September)

* Fri., Sept. 21 - World Alzheimer's Day. (Sept. 21)

* Fri., Sept. 21 - International Day of Peace. (Sept. 21)

* Fri., Sept. 21 - World Gratitude Day. (Sept. 21)

* Fri., Sept. 21, 6:00 a.m. EDT / 10:00 UTC - Day of greatest illumination of the Planet Venus, at an apparent visual magnitude of -4.8.

* Fri., Sept. 21, 11:39 p.m. EDT / Sept. 22, 3:39 UTC - Mercury enters Constellation Libra the Weighing Scales.

* Sat., Sept. 22 - Museum Day Live! - Free admission to participating museums, with Museum Day ticket from the Smithsonian Magazine web site. (Fourth Saturday in September)

* Sat., Sept. 22 - World Car-Free Day. (Sept. 22)

* Sat., Sept. 22 - National Seat Check Saturday regarding automobile seats for children. (Saturday of Child Passenger Safety Week)

* Sat., Sept. 22 - Falls Prevention Awareness Day. (First day of Fall: ~Sept. 22-23)

* Sat., Sept. 22, 9:54 p.m. EDT / Sept. 23, 1:54 UTC - Autumnal Equinox; beginning of Season of Autumn in the Northern Hemisphere.
Also see: Harvest Moon.

* Sept. 23 to 29 - Banned Books Week (BBW) - An annual event celebrating the freedom to read and the importance of the First Amendment. (Last week of September)

* Sept. 23 to 29 - Sea Otter Awareness Week. (Last full week in September)

* Sun., Sept. 23 (1846) - Neptune first planet discovered by mathematical prediction. (Sept. 23)

* Sun., Sept. 23, 1:04 p.m. EDT / 17:04 UTC - As it appears in the sky, the Moon approaches very close to Neptune.

* March 19 to April 30, September 24 through November 5 - Tsunami Preparedness Weeks. (mid-March through April, mid-September through early November)

* Sept. 24 to 30 - Diaper Need Awareness Week. (Last week of September)

* Mon., Sept. 24, Evening - Mid-Autumn Festival / Moon Festival - A popular harvest festival celebrated by Chinese and Vietnamese people, dating back over 3,000 years to Moon worship in China's Shang Dynasty. It is celebrated on the date close to the Autumnal Equinox of the Solar Calendar, as well as close to the Full Moon Phase.

* Mon., Sept. 24, 10:52 p.m. EDT / Sept. 25, 2:52 UTC - Primary Moon Phase: Full Moon - Corn Moon & Harvest Moon. (The Harvest Moon occurs each year within 15 days of the Autumnal Equinox, on the night of the Full Moon between early September to early October of the Gregorian Calendar)

* Mon., Sept. 24 - National Punctuation Day. (Sept. 24)

* Tue., Sept. 25 (1676) - Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), forerunner of today's Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), first established. (Sept. 25)

* Tue., Sept. 25 - Equilux - The actual day with equal hours and minutes of the Sun above the horizon, and equal hours and minutes of the Sun below the horizon. Occurs twice each year, approximately 3-to-4 days before the Vernal Equinox and 3-to-4 days after the Autumnal Equinox. (March 16, September 25)

* Tue., Sept. 25 - National Voter Registration Day. (Fourth Tuesday in September)

* Tue., Sept. 25 - National Day of Remembrance for Murder Victims. (Sept. 25)

* Wed., Sept. 26 (1774) - Birth of pioneer nurseryman and conservationist W Johnny Appleseed, who in his early years lived on Grant's Hill (near the present-day site of the 64-story U.S. Steel Building) in Downtown Pittsburgh. (Sept. 26)

* Thur., Sept. 27 - World Maritime Day. (Last Thursday in September)
The original Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science (a.k.a. Buhl Science Center, Pittsburgh's science and technology museum from 1939 to 1991) displayed the largest Mercator's Projection Map of the World, originally produced by the U.S. Maritime Commission for display at the 1939 World's Fair in New York City.

* Thur., Sept. 27 - National Poetry Day (United Kingdom). (Thursday in late September, early October)

* Thur., Sept. 27, 6:09 a.m. EDT / 10:09 UTC - As it appears in the sky, the Moon approaches close to Uranus.

* Fri., Sept. 28 - The Right to Know Day. (Sept. 28)

* Fri., Sept. 28 - World Rabies Day, marked on the anniversary of the death of Louis Pasteur. (Sept. 28)

* Fri., Sept. 28, Evening - Annual public Open House of Pittsburgh's historic Allegheny Observatory, when both major telescopes are available for public viewing. Free-of-charge reservations and tickets are available for this event, beginning on August 1 at 9:00 a.m. EDT / 13:00 UTC, by telephoning 412-321-2400. (Friday Evening in September or October)

* Fri., Sept. 28, 11:20 a.m. EDT / 15:20 UTC - Mercury is farthest from the Earth.

* Sat., Sept. 29 - Premiere of the historic exhibit, from the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum, "Destination Moon: The Apollo 11 Mission", at the Senator John Heinz History Center in Pittsburgh. This is the only site in the eastern United States which will show this exhibit, in its national tour of four cities in two years, while the National Air and Space Museum undergoes extensive renovations.

* Sat., Sept. 29 (1915) - First transcontinental radio-telephone demonstration, with U.S. Navy radio stations at Arlington, Virginia, Mare Island in San Francisco, and Honolulu. (Sept. 29)

* Sat., Sept. 29 - National Public Lands Day. (Last Saturday in September)

* Sat., Sept. 29, 3:31 p.m. EDT / 20:31 UTC - Venus enters Constellation Libra the Weighing Scales.

* May 15 to September 30 - Recreational Boating Season. (May 15 to Sept. 30)

* April 30, Sept. 30 - National PrepareAthon ! Day - Day to emphasize preparation for disasters and emergencies. (April 30, Sept. 30)

* Sun., Sept. 30 - World Heart Day. (Last Sunday in September)

* Sun., Sept. 30 - Gold Star Mother's Day. (Last Sunday in September)

* Sun., Sept. 30 - Last day of U.S.A. Federal Fiscal Year. (Sept. 30)

* Sun., Sept. 30 - Last day of calendar year Third Quarter. (Sept. 30)

* Sun., Sept. 30 (1452) - Anniversary of the first publication of the Gutenberg Bible, the first major book published using movable type in the Western World. (Sept. 30)

* Sun., Sept. 30, 4:00 a.m. EDT / 8:00 UTC - Star Aldebaran 1.4 degrees south of the Moon (as it appears in the sky, very closest approach 3:05 a.m. EDT / 7:05 UTC).

* 2018 Sept. 29 to 2019 Feb. 17 - Exhibition of the traveling exhibit, from the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum, "Destination Moon: The Apollo 11 Mission", at the Senator John Heinz History Center in Pittsburgh. This is the only site in the eastern United States which will show this exhibit, in its national tour of four cities in two years, while the National Air and Space Museum undergoes extensive renovations.

* October through December - The Rut, White-Tailed Deer Mating Season - Vehicle drivers should be on the look-out for deer running across streets and highways. (Oct. through Dec.)

* Oct. 1 to 5 - National Customer Service Week.

* Mon., Oct. 1 (1847), 10:30 p.m. (Massachusetts time) - America's first professional woman astronomer, Maria Mitchell, discovered Miss Mitchell's Comet. (Oct. 1)

* Mon., Oct. 1 (1958) - 60th Anniversary: Official establishment of NASA, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, as America's civilian space agency, from the predecessor, the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) which had been formed in 1915. (Oct. 1)
NASA: Link 1 *** Link 2.

* Mon., Oct. 1 - Median date for first Fall frost for locations in the Allegheny Mountains of Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Maryland, as well as northern counties in Pennsylvania. (Oct. 1)

* Mon., Oct. 1 - First day of U.S.A. Federal Fiscal Year. (Oct. 1)

* Mon., Oct. 1 - First day of calendar year Fourth Quarter. (Oct. 1)

* Mon., Oct. 1 - U.S. Supreme Court begins new term. (First Monday in October)

* Oct. 2 to 16 - Great World Wide Star Count: Link 1 *** Link 2 .

* Tue., Oct. 2 (1925) - First test of a working Television receiver. (Oct. 2)

* Tue., Oct. 2 - News Engagement Day. (First Tuesday in October)

* Tue., Oct. 2, 5:45 a.m. EDT / 9:45 UTC - Primary Moon Phase: Last Quarter.

* Wed., Oct. 3 - International Walk-to-School Day. (First Wednesday in October)

* Oct. 4 to 10 - World Space Week. (Oct. 4 to 10)

* Oct. 4 to 15 (1582) - Anniversary of original Gregorian Calendar Reform: the Julian Calendar day Thursday,1582 October 4 O.S. (Old System) was followed by the first day of the Gregorian Calendar, Friday, 1582 October 15 N.S. (New System). The British Empire, including the American Colonies, adopted the Gregorian Calendar when Wednesday, 1752 September 2 O.S. was followed by Thursday, 1752 September 14. N.S. Gregorian Calendar enacted by Roman Catholic Church to bring the calendar back into synchronization with the seasons. (Oct. 4 to 15)

* Thur., Oct. 4 (1957) - Anniversary of the beginning of the Space Age with the first successful launch and orbit of an artificial satellite, Sputnik 1, by the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (the country today known by their traditional name, Russia). (Oct. 4)

* Thur., Oct. 4, 12:30 a.m. EDT / 4:30 UTC - NASA-TV coverage begins: NASA astronauts Andrew Feustel and Ricky Arnold and Russian cosmonaut Oleg Artemyev return home from the International Space Station.

* Thur., Oct. 4, 6:00 a.m. EDT / 10:00 UTC - Moon 1.2 degrees south of the Beehive Open Star Cluster (M44).

* Fri., Oct. 5 - World Teachers' Day. (Oct. 5)

* Fri., Oct. 5 - Manufacturing Day℠. (Friday in first week of October)

* Fri., Oct. 5, 2:00 p.m. EDT / 18:00 UTC - Mercury 2 degrees north of Star Spica; as viewed in the sky, very close Oct. 6, 5:04 a.m. EDT / 9:04 UTC.

* Fri., Oct. 5, 6:00 p.m. EDT / 22:00 UTC - Star Regulus 1.9 degrees south of the Moon; as viewed in the sky, very close at 7:13 p.m. EDT / 23:13 UTC.

* Fri., Oct. 5, 6:00 p.m. EDT / 22:00 UTC - Moon at perigee: 227,665.43387 statute miles / 366,392 kilometers.

* Oct. 6 to 14 - Biology Week. (First full week in October, including both full weekends on both sides of the week)

* Sat., Oct 6 - American Graduate Day. (First Saturday in October)

* Sat., Oct. 6 - Cassette Store Day. (First Saturday in October)

* Oct. 7 to 13 - National Employ the Physically Handicapped Week. (First week of October)

* Oct. 7 to 13 - Mental Illness Awareness Week (MIAW) / Mental Health Awareness Week. (First Full Week of October)

* Oct. 7 to 13 - National Metric Week. [Week containing Oct. 10 (10-10)]

* Oct. 7 to 13 - Teen Read Week. (Second or Third week of October)

* Oct. 7 to 13 - Fire Prevention Week. (Week, from Sunday to Saturday, which includes October 9)

* Sun., Oct. 7 - Clergy Appreciation National Day of Honoring. (Second Sunday in October)

* Sun., Oct. 7, 5:52 a.m. EDT / 9:52 UTC - Star Betelgeuse in sky on Meridian (highest point in sky star can be seen; approx. over-head).

* Sun., Oct. 7, 6:00 a.m. EDT / 10:00 UTC - Asteroid and Dwarf Planet Ceres in conjunction with the Sun (Ceres not visible, even with a telescope).

* Mon., Oct. 8 - Chistopher Columbus Day Observed: Federal Holiday in U.S.A. (Second Monday in October).
* Mon., Oct. 8 - Indigenous Peoples' Day - Observed by some communities as an alternative to Christopher Columbus Day. (Second Monday in October)

* Mon., Oct. 8 - Thanksgiving Day: Federal Holiday in Canada. (Second Monday in October)

* Mon., Oct. 8, 11:00 a.m. EDT / 15:00 UTC (Best viewing: Midnight to Dawn) - Peak of October Draconid Meteor Shower. (Oct. 7 to 8)

* Mon., Oct. 8, 11:47 p.m. EDT / Oct. 9, 3:47 UTC - Primary Moon Phase: New Moon - Lunation # 1185.

* Tue., Oct. 9 - Leif Erikson Day honors the Norse explorer who brought the first Europeans known to have set foot in North America. (Oct. 9)

* Tue., Oct. 9 - Fire Prevention Day. (Oct. 9)

* Tue., Oct. 9, 8:40 p.m. EDT / Oct. 10, 0:40 UTC - Mercury enters Constellation Scorpius the Scorpion.

* Wed., Oct. 10 - National Metric Day. (10-10)

* Wed., Oct. 10 - World Mental Health Day. (Oct. 10)

* Wed., Oct. 10, 12:26 a.m. EDT / 4:26 UTC - As viewed in the sky, the Moon approaches close to Mercury.

* Thur., Oct. 11 - National Depression Screening Day® (NDSD) . (Thursday of Mental Illness Awareness Week)

* Thur., Oct. 11 - International Day of the Girl. (Oct. 11)

* Thur., Oct. 11, 4:39 a.m. EDT / 8:39 UTC - NASA-TV coverage: Launch of the crewed Soyuz spacecraft to the International Space Station with members of the Expedition 57 / 58 crew: NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonauts Alexey Ovchinin and Nikolay Tikhonov..

* Thur., Oct. 11, 5:00 p.m. EDT / 21:00 UTC - Jupiter 4 degrees south of the Moon.

* Thur., Oct. 11, 7:27 p.m. EDT / 23:27 UTC - As viewed in the sky, the Moon approaches close to Jupiter.

* Fri., Oct. 12 - Anniversary of Chistopher Columbus Day. (Oct. 12)

* Saturday - April 21, Oct. 13 - Astronomy Day. [Saturday closest to First Quarter Primary Phase of the Moon, in April or May (Spring - Saturday of Astronomy Week) and in September or October (Autumn)]: Link 1 *** Link 2 *** Link 3

* Fri., Oct. 12 - World Egg Day. (Second Friday in October)
Also see: Embryology "Chick Hatching" Exhibit at Pittsburgh's original Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science.

* Sat., Oct. 13 (1775) - Anniversary of the establishment of the U.S. Navy, originally the Continental Navy during the American Revolutionary War. (Oct. 13)

* Sat., Oct. 13 - Indie Author Day. (Second Saturday in October)

* Sat., Oct. 13, Before Morning Twilight - Zodiacal Light dimly visible in northern latitudes in eastern sky, before morning twilight, for next two weeks. (September, October)

* Oct. 14 to 20 - Earth Science Week. (Second full week of October)

* Oct. 14 to 20 - Week of Non-Violence.

* Sun., Oct. 14 (1947) - Chuck Yeager officially broke the sound barrier. (Oct. 14)
In 2012, At Age 89, Chuck Yeager AGAIN Breaks Sound Barrier.

* Sun., Oct. 14 - World Standards Day. (Oct. 14)

* Sun., Oct. 14 - National Fossil Day. (Oct. 14)

* Sun., Oct. 14, 10:57 p.m. EDT / Oct. 15, 2:57 UTC - Saturn 1.8 degrees south of the Moon.

* Oct. 15 to 21 - National Estate Planning Awareness Week. (Sept. or Oct.)

* Mon., Oct. 15 - Equilux when considering Civil Twilight (Dawn before sunrise and Dusk after sunset) - When considering Civil Twilight, the day when daylight and darkness, both, have the same length of hours and minutes. Occurs twice each year, approximately 23 days before the Vernal Equinox and 23 days after the Autumnal Equinox. (Feb. 25-26, Oct. 15)

* Mon., Oct. 15 (1582) - Roman Catholic Church instituted the Gregorian Calendar Reform. As part of the Reform, 10 days in October (October 5 through 14) were deleted for the year A.D. 1582, due to the 13 centuries of accumulated error causing a calendar drift of holidays (particularly Easter). In 1582, the date of October 4 (Julian Calendar) was followed the next day by October 15 (Gregorian Calendar). Great Britain and the American Colonies did not adopt the Gregorian Calendar Reform until September of 1752. (Oct. 15)

* Mon., Oct. 15 - Global Handwashing Day. (Oct. 15)

* Tue., Oct. 16 - National Dictionary Day. (Oct. 16)

* Tue., Oct. 16 - World Food Day / Food Engineer Day. (Oct. 16)

* Tue., Oct. 16 - National Boss Day. (Oct. 16, unless date falls on weekend, then closest working day to Oct. 16)

* Tue., Oct. 16, 2:02 p.m. EDT / 18:02 UTC - Primary Moon Phase: First Quarter.

* Wed., Oct. 17 (1919) - Amateur radio station 8XK in Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania, indirect predecessor to KDKA-AM Pittsburgh (world's first commercial radio station in 1920), started broadcasting in Pittsburgh region, after World War I restrictions on amateur radio were lifted by the Federal Government. (Oct. 17)

* Wed., Oct. 17 - Global Ethics Day announced by the Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs. (Third Wednesday in October)

* Wed., Oct. 17, 3:00 p.m. EDT / 19:00 UTC - Moon at apogee: 251,175.01292 statute miles / 404,227 kilometers.

* Thur., Oct. 18 - Anniversary of the completion of the Mason-Dixon Line Survey, America's most famous boundary line [separating Pennsylvania from Maryland & Virginia (now West Virginia)], produced with the assistance of Astronomy. The Survey ended, prematurely, about 70 miles south of Pittsburgh, when the Native American guides of Astronomers Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon refused to enter their Indian enemy's territory. Philadelphia clock-maker and Astronomer David Rittenhouse, with Surveyor Andrew Ellicott, completed surveying the last 23 miles (to the southwest corner of Pennsylvania) in 1784.

* Thur., Oct. 18 - Feast Day of Saint Luke / brief period around October 18 known as Saint Luke's Little Summer, when there is often a short time of calm, dry weather, with mild temperatures. (Oct. 18)
Also see: Stage performance of "Saint Luke," during the historic Star of Bethlehem planetarium drama, at the time of the Christmas holidays at Pittsburgh's original Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science.

* Thur., Oct. 18 - Get Smart About Credit Day. (Third Thursday in October)

* Thur., Oct. 18, 9:00 a.m. EDT / 13:00 UTC - Mars 1.9 degrees south of the Moon; as viewed in the sky, the Moon approaches very close to Mars at 8:13 a.m. EDT / 12:13 UTC.

* Thur., Oct. 18, 9:45 p.m. EDT / Oct. 19, 1:45 UTC - Launch of the BepiColombo mission to Mercury for the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).

* Fri., Oct. 19 - Great ShakeOut Earthquake Drills. (Oct. 19)

* Sat., Oct. 20 - Average end of the Growing Season for the Pittsburgh Quad-State Region (Western Pennsylvania, Eastern Ohio, Northern West Virginia, and Western Maryland, except at the higher elevations in the Allegheny Mountains). (Oct. 20)

* Sat., Oct. 20 - Sweetest Day. (Third Saturday in October)

* Sat., Oct. 20, Evening - International Observe the Moon Night (InOMN).
More info.

* Sat., Oct. 20, 7:49 p.m. EDT / 23:49 UTC - As viewed in the sky, the Moon approaches very close to Neptune.

* Oct. 21 to 27 - National Friends of Libraries Week.

* Oct. 21 to 27 - Male Breast Cancer Awareness Week. (Third full week of October)

* Oct. 21 to 27 - National School Bus Safety Week. (Third Week in October)

* Oct. 21 to 27 - National Teen Driver Safety Week. (Third full week of October)

* Sun., Oct. 21, 2:00 p.m. EDT / 18:00 UTC (Best viewing: Midnight to Dawn) - Peak of Orionid Meteor Shower - remnants from Halley's Comet. (Oct. 21)
"Two-Timers," visitors to Pittsburgh's original Buhl Planetarium who saw Halley's Comet in both 1910 and in 1985 to 1986 (in 1985 to 1986 with a Buhl Planetarium telescope, including the historic 10-Inch Siderostat-Type Refractor Telescope).

* Oct. 21 to 27 - National Chemistry Week (NCW).

* Oct. 21 to 27 - Open Access Week. (Last full week of October)

* Oct. 21 to 27 - National Legal Pro-Bono Celebration Week. (Last week of October)

* Sun., Oct. 21 - Mother-in-Law Day. (Fourth Sunday in October)

* Oct. 22 to 26 - Solar Week. (Mid-to-Late March, Mid-to-Late October)

* Tue., Oct. 23 - Day of San Juan - Swallows leave Mission San Juan Capistano, California. (Oct. 23)

* Tue., Oct. 23 (2001) - IPOD Day. (Oct. 23)

* Tue., Oct. 23, 6:02 a.m. to 6:02 p.m EDT / 10:02 to 22:02 UTC - Mole Day, unofficial holiday celebrated among chemists, chemistry students, and chemistry enthusiasts, between 6:02 a.m. and 6:02 p.m., making the date 6:02 10/23 in the American style of writing dates. The time and date are derived from Avogadro's number, which is approximately 6.02 × 1023, defining the number of particles (atoms or molecules) in one mole (mol) of substance, one of the seven base SI units.

* Tue., Oct. 23, 9:00 p.m. EDT / Oct. 24, 1:00 UTC - Uranus at opposition (Uranus visible in a telescope approx. local sunset to local sunrise).

* Oct. 24 to 31 - National Bat Week. (Week that includes Halloween Day: Oct. 24 to 31)

* Wed., Oct. 24 - World Polio Day (Oct. 24)

* Wed., Oct. 24 (1945) - Anniversary of the founding of the United Nations. (Oct. 24)

* Wed., Oct. 24 (1851) - Astronomer William Lassell discovered Uranus moons Ariel and Umbriel. (Oct. 24)

* Wed., Oct. 24, 12:45 p.m. EDT / 16:45 UTC - Primary Moon Phase: Full Moon - Hunter's Moon.

* Wed., Oct. 24 (1939), 8:30 p.m. EST / Oct. 25, 1:30 UTC (Daylight Saving Time not observed in 1939) - Anniversary of the dedication of Pittsburgh's original Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science. (Oct. 24)
The original Buhl Planetarium included two historic astronomical instruments:
1) Zeiss II Planetarium Projector, the oldest operable major planetarium projector in the world ! (presently on display as a non-working exhibit).
2) Rather unique 10-inch Siderostat-type Refractor Telescope, which marked its 75th anniversary on 2016 November 19.

* Thur., Oct. 25 (1939), 10:00 a.m. EST / 15:00 UTC (Daylight Saving Time not observed in 1939) - Anniversary of the public opening of Pittsburgh's original Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science. (Oct. 25)
The original Buhl Planetarium included two historic astronomical instruments:
1) Zeiss II Planetarium Projector, the oldest operable major planetarium projector in the world ! (presently on display as a non-working exhibit).
2) Rather unique 10-inch Siderostat-type Refractor Telescope, which marked its 75th anniversary on 2016 November 19.

* Fri., Oct. 26, 10:00 a.m. EDT / 14:00 UTC - Venus in inferior conjunction (Venus not visible, even with a telescope).

* Sat., Oct. 27 - Navy Day, the date of the birthday of U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt, who served as Assistant Secretary of the Navy (1897 to 1898), wrote the book, The Naval War of 1812 (1882), and as President built-up the U.S. Navy as a world-class fighting fleet. (Oct. 27 is recognized as Navy Day in the U.S. Flag Code, for the display of the U.S. flag.). (Oct. 27)

* Sat., Oct. 27 - National Forgiveness Day. (Fourth Saturday of October)

* Sat., Oct. 27 - World Day for Audiovisual Heritage.

* Sat., Oct. 27 - Occupational Therapy Day.

* Sat., Oct. 27 - National Potato Day.

* Sat., Oct. 27, 10:00 a.m. EDT / 14:00 UTC - Star Aldebaran 1.6 degrees south of the Moon; as viewed in the sky, the Moon approaches very close to Aldebaran 8:59 a.m. EDT / 12:59 UTC.

* Sat., Oct. 27, 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Prevailing Local Time - National Prescription Drug Take-Back Days sponsored by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. (Last Saturday in September or October, 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Prevailing Local Time)

* Oct. 28 & 29 (1929) - Black Monday (Oct. 28) & Black Tuesday (Oct. 29) Wall Street Stock Market Crash of 1929. (Oct. 28 & 29)

* Sun., Oct. 28, 2:00 a.m. Prevailing Local Time (Daylight Saving Time) - DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME CONTINUES - Change in Federal law, thus that return to Standard Time occurs 2:00 a.m. Daylight Saving Time (which becomes 1:00 a.m. Standard Time) on the first Sunday in November (previously, last Sunday in October, 2:00 a.m. Prevailing Local Time).
Also see:
Some States to Abandon Daylight Saving Time ?
Science of Daylight Saving Time.

* Mon., Oct. 29 (1969) - Anniversary of the connection of the first two nodes of the ARPANET, which led to the formation of the Internet. (Oct. 29)

* Mon., Oct. 29 - National Cat Day. (Oct. 29)

* Mon., Oct. 29, 2:32 a.m. EDT / 6:32 UTC - As viewed in the sky, Mercury and Jupiter appear close.

* Tue., Oct. 30 (1938), 8:00 p.m. EST / Oct. 31, 1:00 UTC (Daylight Saving Time not observed in 1938) - Anniversary of the CBS Radio Network broadcast of Orson Welles' radio adaptation of the H.G. Wells science-fiction novel, The War of the Worlds, which caused a panic among some American listeners who thought the Earth was actually being invaded by beings from the Planet Mars. (Oct. 30)

* Tue., Oct. 30, 12:00 Midnight EDT / 4:00 UTC - Mercury 3 degrees south of Jupiter.

* Tue., Oct. 30, 5:22 p.m. EDT / 21:22 UTC - As viewed in the sky, Mercury in Constellation Scorpius the Scorpion.

. * Oct. 31 / Nov. 1 / Nov. 2 - Traditional Astronomical Cross-Quarter Day Samhain or "All-Hallowsmas", better known as Halloween (Oct. 31 - "All Hallows Eve"), All-Saints Day (Nov. 1), All-Souls Day (Nov. 2) (fourth and last traditional cross-quarter day of year).

* Wed., Oct. 31 - Dark Matter Day. (Oct. 31)

* Wed., Oct. 31 - Anniversary of Protestant Reformation Day. (Oct. 31)

* Wed., Oct. 31, 12:00 Noon EDT / 16:00 UTC - Moon 1.0 degree south of the Beehive Open Star Cluster (M44).

* Wed., Oct. 31, 12:40 p.m. EDT / 16:40 UTC - Primary Moon Phase: Last Quarter.

* Wed., Oct. 31, 4:00 p.m. EDT / 20:00 UTC - Moon at perigee: 230,034.10085 statute miles / 370,204 kilometers.

* Sun., Nov. 4, 2:00 a.m. Prevailing Local Time (Daylight Saving Time) - DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME ENDS - Change in Federal law thus that return to Standard Time occurs 2:00 a.m. Daylight Saving Time (which becomes 1:00 a.m. Standard Time). (First Sunday in November, 2:00 a.m. Prevailing Local Time)
Some States to Abandon Daylight Saving Time ?
Science of Daylight Saving Time.

* Tue., Nov. 6 - General Election Day (First Tuesday after the first Monday in November):
Federal Mid-Term Election (Second November of a U.S. Presidential Administration).

* Wed., Nov. 7, 6:18 a.m. EST / 11:18 UTC - Actual Astronomical Cross-Quarter Day (fourth and last actual cross-quarter day of the year: ~Nov. 6-7).
Traditional Cross-Quarter Day.

* 2018 Sept. 29 to 2019 Feb. 18 - Exhibition of the traveling exhibit, from the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum, "Destination Moon: The Apollo 11 Mission", at the Senator John Heinz History Center in Pittsburgh. This is the only site in the eastern United States which will show this exhibit, in its national tour of four cities in two years, while the National Air and Space Museum undergoes extensive renovations.

* October through December - The Rut, White-Tailed Deer Mating Season - Vehicle drivers should be on the look-out for deer running across streets and highways.

* Oct. 31 / Nov. 1 / Nov. 2 - Traditional Astronomical Cross-Quarter Day Samhain or "All-Hallowsmas", better known as Halloween (Oct. 31 - "All Hallows Eve"), All-Saints Day (Nov. 1), All-Souls Day (Nov. 2) (fourth and last traditional cross-quarter day of year).

* Nov. 1 to April 30 - Use of life jackets by every person on a small boat (less than 16 feet in length), during cold-weather months, is mandatory.

* Thur., Nov. 1 - World Vegan Day. (Nov. 1)

* Fri., Nov. 2, 1:00 p.m. EST (Note: Daylight Saving Time was not observed in November until 2007, long after Buhl Planetarium closed as public museum in 1991) / 18:00 UTC - First Friday in November was annual opening of very popular Miniature Railroad and Village (beginning of "Railroad Season") exhibit at Pittsburgh's original Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science. (First Friday in November)

* Fri., Nov. 2 (1920), 6:00 p.m. EST / 23:00 UTC (Daylight Saving Time not observed in 1920) - Anniversary - First broadcast of the world's first commercial radio broadcast station: KDKA-AM, Pittsburgh (Nov. 2).
Also see KDKA Historic Firsts (scroll-down page for Historic Firsts).

* Fri., Nov. 2, 1:41 a.m. EDT / 5:41 UTC - As it appears in the sky, the Moon moves very close to the Star Regulus.

* Sat., Nov. 3 - Anniversary [Late-Evening November 2 / early-morning November 3 (~3:00 a.m. PST / 11:00 UTC)]: First Light of 100-inch Hooker Reflector Telescope (world's largest telescope: 1917 to 1949) at Mount Wilson Observatory, Los Angeles County, California. (Nov. 3)

* Sun., Nov. 4 - National Stress Awareness Day. (Nov. 4)

* Sun., Nov. 4, 2:00 a.m. Prevailing Local Time (Daylight Saving Time) - DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME ENDS - Change in Federal law thus that return to Standard Time occurs 2:00 a.m. Daylight Saving Time (which becomes 1:00 a.m. Standard Time). (First Sunday in November, 2:00 a.m. Prevailing Local Time)
Science of Daylight Saving Time.

* Mon., Nov. 5 (1605) - Guy Fawkes Day is celebrated in England for the failed plot to blow-up Britain's Houses of Parliament and kill King James I (originally James VI of Scotland) in 1605. Industrialist and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie considered this event so important, that several of the public libraries he constructed were dedicated on November 5 ! (Nov. 5).

* Mon., Nov. 5 - United Nations World Tsunami Awareness Day. (Nov. 5).

* Mon., Nov. 5, 1:00 p.m. EST / 18:00 UTC (Best viewing: Midnight to Dawn) - Peak of South Taurid Meteor Shower. (Nov. 5)

* Nov. 6 to 10 - Winter Hazard Awareness Week. (Mid-November)

* Tue., Nov. 6 (1572) - Anniversary: Discovery of what is known as Tycho's Supernova in the Constellation Cassiopeia the Seated Queen, although Supernova SN 1572 was discovered by several people. (Nov. 6)

* Tue., Nov. 6 (1854) - Birth date of famous American composer John Philip Sousa, who composed the Transit of Venus March, in anticipation of the rare Transit of Venus on 1882 December 6. (Nov. 6)

* Tue., Nov. 6 - General Election Day - Pennsylvania Election Hours: 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. EST (First Tuesday after the first Monday in November):
Federal Mid-Term Election (Second November of a U.S. Presidential Administration).

* Wed., Nov. 7 (1867) - Birth date of Polish chemist Madame Maria Sklodowska Curie who, with her husband Pierre, pioneered research in radio-activity and discovered radio-active elements radium and polonium. (Nov. 7)

* Wed., Nov. 7 - Christmas Mailing Deadline for U.S. Post Office Retail Ground Mail Service to overseas U.S. Military destinations. (Nov. 7)

* Wed., Nov. 7 - Diwali or Deepavali - Religious holiday of India; on the Hindu calendar, the five-day festival of Deepavali is centered on the New Moon day that ends the month of Ashwin and begins the month of Kartika.

* Wed., Nov. 7, 6:18 a.m. EST / 11:18 UTC - Actual Astronomical Cross-Quarter Day (fourth and last actual cross-quarter day of the year: ~Nov. 6-7).
Traditional Cross-Quarter Day.

* Wed., Nov. 7, 11:02 a.m. EST / 16:02 UTC - Moon Phase: New Moon - Lunation # 1186.

* Thur., Nov. 8 (1656 - O.S. 1656 Oct. 29) - Birth date of English Astronomer Edmond Halley, best known for computing the orbit of Halley's Comet. (Nov. 8)

* Thur., Nov. 8 - International Day of Radiology: X-Rays discovered in 1895. Although several scientists, including Nikola Tesla, observed and studied this unusual radiation in the last part of the nineteenth century, credit for discovery is usually given to German physicist Wilhelm Röntgen because he was the first to systematically study the phenomenon. Madame Maria Sklodowska Curie, along with husband Pierre, discovered radio-active elements Radium and Polonium in 1898. (Nov. 8)

* Thur., Nov. 8, 2:24 p.m. EST / 19:24 UTC - As it appears in the sky, the Moon moves close to Jupiter.

* Nov. 9 to 11 - National Donor Sabbath - Three-day observance, to increase awareness of life-saving donations, seeks to include the days of worship for major religions practiced in the United States. (Friday through Sunday, two weekends before Thanksgiving Day)

* Fri., Nov. 9 (1989) - Fall of the Berlin Wall, the beginning of the permanent fall of Communist governments in Eastern Europe. (Nov. 9)

* Fri., Nov. 9, 1:00 a.m. EST / 6:00 UTC - Mercury 1.8 degrees north of Star Antares; as it appears in the sky, Mercury and Antares are very close at 7:07 a.m. EST / 12:07 UTC.

* Sat., Nov. 10 - Carl Sagan Day. (Saturday closest to Nov. 9, birthday of Carl Sagan)

* Sat., Nov. 10 - World Science Day for Peace and Development. (Nov. 10)

* Sat., Nov. 10 - Beginning of Project FeederWatch, annual Citizen Science Project: Winter-long survey of birds that visit feeders at backyards, nature centers, community areas, and other locales in North America. Allows the general public to help scientists track broadscale movements of Winter bird populations and long-term trends in bird distribution and abundance. (Second Saturday in November)

* Sat., Nov. 10 (1775) - United States Marine Corps (USMC) established. (Nov. 10)

* Sat., Nov. 10, 11:12 a.m. EST / 16:12 UTC - As it appears in the sky, Mars enters the Constellation Aquarius the Water Bearer.

* Nov. 11 to 17 - Winter Safety Awareness Week: Ohio. (Mid-November)

* Sun., Nov. 11 - Veterans' Day / Armistice Day. (Nov. 11 - U.S.A.; also, when Nov. 11 falls on Saturday or Sunday, the Observed Government Holiday falls on the weekday before or after Nov. 11)

* Sun., Nov. 11 - Remembrance Day. (Nov. 11 - Canada)

* Sun., Nov. 11, 10:39 a.m. EST / 15:39 UTC - Saturn 1.5 degrees south of the Moon.

* Nov. 12 to 16 - American Education Week. (Mid-November)

* Nov. 12 to 16 - National Rural Health Week. (Mid-November)

* Nov. 12 to 16 - National Career Development Week. (Mid-November)

* Nov. 12 to 16 - Alcohol Awareness Week. (Mid-November)

* Mon., Nov. 12 - Veterans' Day Observed Government Holiday (Weekday before or after Nov. 11).

* Mon., Nov. 12, 12:00 Noon EST / 17:00 UTC (Best viewing: Midnight to Dawn) - Peak of North Taurid Meteor Shower. (Nov. 12)

* Mon., Nov. 12, 1:00 p.m. EST / 18:00 UTC - Dwarf Planet Pluto 0.9 degree south of the Moon; occultation: northeastern portion of North America, southern portion of Greenland, Iceland, Azores, majority of Western Europe.

* Tue., Nov. 13 - World Kindness Day. (Nov. 13)

* Tue., Nov. 13 - Parents Day of American Education Week. (Tuesday of American Education Week)

* Wed., Nov. 14 - World Diabetes Day. (Nov.14)

* Wed., Nov. 14 - National Pickle Day. (Nov.14)

* Wed., Nov. 14 - National Career Development Day. (Wednesday of National Career Development Week)

* Wed., Nov. 14 - GIS Day, a day to showcase the benefits of Geographic Information Systems (GIS). (Third Wednesday of November)

* Wed., Nov. 14 - Education Support Professionals Day of American Education Week. (Wednesday of American Education Week)

* Wed., Nov. 14 - World Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Day. (Third Wednesday in November)

* Wed., Nov. 14, 11:00 a.m. EST / 16:00 UTC - Moon at apogee: 251,244 statute miles / 404,339 kilometers.

* Wed., Nov. 14, 2:59 p.m. EST / 16:00 UTC - As it appears in the sky, Venus and Star Spica are very close.

* Thur., Nov. 15 - Beginning of Orthodox Advent - Orthodox churches use the Julian Calendar and celebrate Advent for 40 days. (Nov. 15)

* Thur., Nov. 15 - National Philanthropy Day®. (Nov. 15)

* Thur., Nov. 15 - America Recycles Day. (Nov. 15)

* Thur., Nov. 15 - Children's Grief Awareness Day. (Third Thursday in November)

* Thur., Nov. 15 - "Great American Smokeout," to assist people to quit smoking. (Third Thursday in November)

* Thur., Nov. 15 - National Rural Health Day. (Thursday of National Rural Health Week)

* Thur., Nov. 15 - Clean-Out Your Refrigerator Day. (Nov. 15)

* Thur., Nov. 15, 10:54 a.m. EST / 14:54 UTC - Moon Phase: First Quarter.

* Thur., Nov. 15, 11:00 p.m. EST / Nov. 16, 4:00 UTC - Mars 1.0 degree north of the Moon; occultation: majority of Antarctic continent, Falkland Islands, southern portion of South America.

* Fri., Nov. 16 - International Day for Tolerance. (Nov. 16)

* Fri., Nov. 16 - Substitute Educators Day of American Education Week. (Friday of American Education Week)

* Fri., Nov. 16 - World Vasectomy Day. (Friday in Mid-November)

* Fri., Nov. 16, Evening - Pittsburgh Golden Triangle Light-Up Night, beginning of holiday shopping season; includes evening of downtown buildings lit-up and fireworks. (Friday Evening before Thanksgiving Day)

* Nov. 17 to 24 - Financial Planning Week. (Last week of November)

* Sat., Nov. 17 - International Games Day @ Your Library. (Third Saturday in November)

* Sat., Nov. 17 - LUNG FORCE Giving Day. (Nov. 17)

* Sat., Nov. 17 - National Adoption Day. (Traditionally, Saturday before Thanksgiving Day)
(However, moved to Nov. 15 for 2008 not to conflict with 45th anniversary of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy on November 22.)

* Sat., Nov. 17, 2:48 a.m. EST / 7:48 UTC - As it appears in the sky, the Moon moves very close to Neptune.

* Sat., Nov. 17, 7:00 p.m. EST / Nov. 18, 0:00 UTC (Best viewing: Midnight to Dawn) - Peak of Leonid Meteor Shower. (Nov. 17 to 18)

* Sat., Nov. 17, 5:00 p.m. EST / 22:00 UTC - Asteroid 3 Juno at opposition (visible, with difficulty, with a telescope approx. local sunset to local sunrise).

* Sun., Nov. 18 (1963) - Anniversary: First introduction of commercial, touch-tone (i.e. push-button) telephone service in America, in the Pittsburgh suburbs of Carnegie and Greensburg, Pennsylvania, by the Bell Telephone Company of Pennsylvania. (Nov. 18)

* Sun., Nov. 18 - African Statistics Day (ASD). (Nov. 18)

* Sun., Nov. 18, 12:00 Noon Local Standard Time (1883) - Anniversary of the establishment of standard time zones by American and Canadian railroads, when Pittsburgh's Allegheny Observatory sent a time-signal over the telegraph, to coordinate all railroad station clocks. (Nov. 18)
Also see history of new Allegheny Observatory building.

* Mon., Nov. 19 (1941) - Anniversary: Dedication of The People's Observatory on the third floor of Pittsburgh's original Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science, with the rather unique 10-inch Siderostat-type Refractor Telescope. (Nov. 19)

* Mon., Nov. 19 (1958) - Anniversary: Federal formation of the National Radio Quiet Zone, providing for radio research at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory in Green Bank, West Virginia. (Nov. 19)

* Mon., Nov. 19 (1919) - Anniversary: Pittsburgh experimental radio station 8ZAE, which became KQV-AM 1410, now Pittsburgh's all-news radio station (radio station temporarily suspended broadcasting on 2018 January 1; in September, license converted from commercial to non-commercial, educational) - History:
Link 1 *** Link 2. (Nov. 19)

* Mon., Nov. 19 (1863) - Anniversary: Gettysburg Address presented by U.S. President Abraham Lincoln for the Consecration of the National Cemetery at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, during the American Civil War. (Nov. 19)
See also Civil War Museum of the Andrew Carnegie Free Library and Music Hall.

* Tue., Nov. 20 - Universal Children's Day. (Nov. 20)

* Tue., Nov. 20, 5:47 p.m. EST / 22:47 UTC - As it appears in the sky, the Moon moves close to Uranus.

* Wed., Nov. 21, 10:37 p.m. EST / Nov., 22, 3:37 UTC - As it appears in the sky, Mercury and Star Antares appear close.

* Nov. 22 to 26 - Thanksgiving Holiday Weekend. (Thanksgiving Day through following Monday)
Pittsburgh's original Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science scheduled expanded public hours during this holiday weekend --
Thursday, Friday, Saturday: 9:00 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. (Friday - Observatory to 10:30 p.m.) EST
Sunday: 12:00 Noon to 9:30 p.m. EST
Monday: 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. EST
Thanksgiving Day (in earlier years, December 1) was the beginning of the classic, "Star of Bethlehem" planetarium sky drama at Pittsburgh's original Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science. This traditional, holiday sky show, which provides possible, astronomical explanations for the star that guided the Three Wisemen to the Christ child, has been shown at Buhl Planetarium every Christmas season since 1939, and it is being shown Thanksgiving week through the beginning of the New Year at the Henry Buhl, Jr. Planetarium and Observatory at The Carnegie Science Center under the title, "The Christmas Star." This graphic was used to promote the show in Buhl's monthly, public newsletter, during Buhl Planetarium's 50th anniversary in 1989. More on this historic sky show, including a complete copy of the 1979 show script.

* Thur., Nov. 22 - Thanksgiving Day: Link 1 *** Link 2. (Fourth Thursday in November - U.S.A.)

* Thur., Nov. 22 (1963), 12:30 p.m. CST (1:30 p.m. EST) / 18:30 UTC - Anniversary of the Assassination of John F. Kennedy, 35th President of the United States of America, in Dallas' Dealey Plaza, the man who sent us to the Moon. (Nov. 22)

* Fri., Nov. 23 - "Black Friday" - Was one of the busiest days of the year (sometimes the busiest !) at Pittsburgh's original Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science. (Day after Thanksgiving Day, U.S.A.)

* Fri., Nov. 23, 12:39 a.m. EST / 5:39 UTC - Primary Moon Phase: Full Moon - Beaver Moon.

* Fri., Nov. 23, 5:00 p.m. EST / 22:00 UTC - Star Aldebaran 1.7 degrees south of the Moon.

* Sat., Nov. 24 - Small Business Saturday. (Saturday after Black Friday)

* Sun., Nov. 25 (1915) - Anniversary: Dr. Albert Einstein's General Theory of Relativity. (Nov. 25)

* Sun., Nov. 25 (1835) - Industrialist and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie born in Dunfermline, Scotland; immigrated to Pittsburgh in 1848. (Nov. 25)

* Sun., Nov. 25 - Christmas Mailing Deadline for U.S. Post Office Space Available Mail (SAM) Service to overseas U.S. Military destinations. (Nov. 25)

* Sun., Nov. 25 - First Sunday in Advent (Traditional). (First of four Sundays in Advent prior to Christmas Day)

* Sun., Nov. 25 - International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. (Nov. 25)

* Mon., Nov. 26 (1758) - Anniversary: Founding of Pittsburgh by British General John Forbes, who originally named the town "Pittsborough," named in honor of British Secretary of State William Pitt the Elder. (Nov. 26)

* Mon., Nov. 26 - Pennsylvania: First day of Deer (Antlered and Antlerless) Hunting Season by Rifle. (Monday after Thanksgiving Day)
[Pittsburgh's original Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science scheduled expanded public hours on this day (9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. EST), as some school districts were closed this day.]

* Mon., Nov. 26 - Cyber Monday. (Monday after Black Friday)

* Mon., Nov. 26 - Shopping Reminder Day (Yes, a specially-designated day!). (Nov. 24 to 26)

* Mon., Nov. 26, 2:00 a.m. EST / 7:00 UTC - Jupiter in conjunction with the Sun (Jupiter not visible, even with a telescope).

* Mon., Nov. 26, 7:00 a.m. EST / 12:00 UTC - Moon at perigee: 227,807 statute miles / 366,620 kilometers.

* Mon., Nov. 26, ~ 3:00 p.m. EST / 20:00 UTC - Approximate time of landing of NASA's Mars InSight space probe at Elysium Planitia on Mars.

* Tue., Nov. 27 - Giving Tuesday - Day for people to donate time and/or money to needy charities, following the Thanksgiving Weekend beginning of the holiday shopping season (Tuesday after Black Friday).

* Tue., Nov. 27 (1861) - First light for 13-inch Fitz (later Fitz-Clark) Refractor Telescope (then, third largest telescope in the world !), at original Allegheny Observatory in Allegheny City, Pennsylvania (which was annexed to Pittsburgh in 1907 and is now Pittsburgh's North Side), which was located just up the hill from the site where Pittsburgh's original Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science was built in 1939. (Nov. 27)
Also see history of new Allegheny Observatory building.

* Tue., Nov. 27, 4:00 a.m. EST / 9:00 UTC - Mercury at inferior conjunction with the Sun (Mercury not visible, even with a telescope).

* Tue., Nov. 27, 4:00 p.m. EST / 21:00 UTC - Moon 0.7 degree south of the Beehive Open Star Cluster (M44).

* Wed., Nov. 28 (1660) - Founding of the Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, possibly the oldest such society still in existence. (Nov. 28)

* Thur., Nov. 29 - Mercury at perihelion.

* Thur., Nov. 29, 7:19 p.m. EST / Nov. 30, 0:19 UTC - Moon Phase: Last Quarter.

* Fri., Nov. 30 - Computer Security Day. (Nov. 30)

* Fri., Nov. 30 - St Andrew's Day. (Nov. 30)

* Fri., Nov. 30 - Last day of Hurricane Season. (Nov. 30)

* October through December - The Rut, White-Tailed Deer Mating Season - Vehicle drivers should be on the look-out for deer running across streets and highways.

* Nov. 1 to April 30 - Use of life jackets by every person on a small boat (less than 16 feet in length), during cold-weather months, is mandatory. (Nov. 1 to April 30)

* Dec. 1 to 7 - Crohn's & Colitis Awareness Week. (Dec. 1 to 7)

* Sat., Dec. 1 - First day of Meteorological Winter. (Dec. 1)

* Sat., Dec. 1 - Beginning of Summer Season in Australia. (Dec. 1)

* Sat., Dec. 1 (1964) - Anniversary of the Tripoli Rocket Club, now known as the Tripoli Rocketry Association , was founded in Rillton, Pennsylvania near Irwin, Pennsylvania, in the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Area. Francis G. Graham, today Professor Emeritus of Physics at Kent State University, was one of the key founders. (Dec. 1)

* Sat., Dec. 1 - World AIDS Day. (Dec. 1)

* Sat., Dec. 1, 6:12 a.m. EST / 11:12 UTC - Mercury enters Constellation Scorpius the Scorpion.

* Sat., Dec. 1, 7:00 p.m. EST / Dec. 2, 0:00 UTC - Greatest illumination of the Planet Venus, for the current morning apparition of Venus - Apparent Visual Magnitude: -4.9.

* Dec. 2 to 8 - National Handwashing Awareness Week. (First full week of December)

* Dec. 2 to 8 - National Influenza Vaccination Week.

* Dec. 2, local Sunset (Sunset for Pittsburgh: 4:54 p.m. EST / 21:54 UTC) to Dec. 10, local Sunset (Sunset for Pittsburgh: 4:53 p.m. EST / 21:53 UTC) - Hanukkah or Chanukah (Jewish festival of re-dedication, also known as the Festival of Lights.); date of Hanukkah based on the Hebrew calendar, which is a lunisolar calendar: Link 1 *** Link 2.
(Late Nov. to late Dec.)

* Dec. 3 to 9 - Computer Science Education Week, including Hour of Code events. (First or second week of December)

* Mon., Dec. 3 - International Day of Persons with Disabilities. (Dec. 3)

* Mon., Dec. 3, 6:31 a.m. EST / 11:31 UTC - Launch of the Russian Soyuz MS-11 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, to the International Space Station, with NASA astronaut Anne McClain, Canadian Space Agency astronaut David Saint-Jacques and Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko.

* Mon., Dec. 3, 11:45 a.m. EST / 16:45 UTC - NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft is expected to enter orbit around Asteroid 101955 Bennu [an Apollo asteroid (a group of near-Earth asteroids which cross the Earth's orbit) discovered by the LINEAR Project on 1999 September 11], for a two-year mission which will include scooping-up a sample of surface material and returning the sample to Earth about three years afterward. NASA will provide live coverage of the space probe's arrival at the asteroid.

* Mon., Dec. 3, 2:00 p.m. EST / 19:00 UTC - Venus 4 degrees south of the Moon (Moon approaches closest to Venus, as it appears in the sky, at 4:10 p.m. EST / 21:10 UTC).

* Wed., Dec. 5 - International Volunteer Day (IVD). (Dec. 5)

* Wed., Dec. 5, Evening - Krampus Night - Krampus is a horned, anthropomorphic figure described as "half-goat, half-demon", who, during the Christmas season (particularly the evening before the Feast of Saint Nicholas), punishes children who have misbehaved, in contrast with Saint Nicholas, who rewards the well-behaved with gifts. (Dec. 5, Evening)

* Wed., Dec. 5, 4:00 p.m. EST / 21:00 UTC - Mercury 1.9 degrees south of the Moon (Moon approaches closest to Mercury, as it appears in the sky, at 5:03 p.m. EST / 22:03 UTC).

* Thur., Dec. 6 - Feast of . 6 Saint Nicholas (Traditional: Gregorian Calendar). (Dec. 6)

* Thur., Dec. 6 - Microwave Oven Day. (Dec. 6)

* Thur., Dec. 6 (2013), 10:00 a.m. EST / 15:00 UTC - Anniversary of the dedication of the Southwestern Pennsylvania World War II Memorial located near other memorials, remembering veterans of the Korea and Vietnam conflicts, in the Roberto Clemente North Shore Riverfront Park, a few blocks southwest of Pittsburgh's original Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science. (Dec. 6)

* Thur., Dec. 6, 9:53 a.m. EST / 14:53 UTC - As it appears in the sky, the Moon approaches close to Jupiter.

* Fri., Dec. 7 - International Civil Aviation Day. (Dec. 7)

* Fri., Dec. 7, 2:20 a.m. EST / 7:20 UTC - Primary Moon Phase: New Moon - Lunation # 1187.

* Fri., Dec. 7, 10:00 a.m. EST / 15:00 UTC - Mars 0.04 degree north of Neptune.

* Fri., Dec. 7 (1941), 7:48 a.m. Hawaii-Aleutian Standard Time / 12:48 p.m. EST / 17:48 UTC - Anniversary of Japanehase surprise attack on American Naval Fleet, leading to American entry into World War II: Pearl Harbor Day. (Dec. 7)
Just two and one-half weeks earlier, during the activities surrounding the dedication of a unique 10-inch Siderostat-Type Refractor Telescope at Pittsburgh's original Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science, a new Buhl Planetarium gallery exhibit also opened with the-then intriguing title, "Can America Be Bombed?"

* Sat., Dec. 8 - Chinese Long March 3B rocket will launch the Chang’e 4 mission to attempt the first robotic landing on the far side of the Moon. Chang’e 4 consists of a stationary lander and a mobile rover.

* Sat., Dec. 8, 5:54 p.m. EST / 22:54 UTC - Mars crosses the Meridian (highest point in the sky, for the day).

* Sun., Dec. 9, 12:00 Midnight EST / 5:00 UTC - Saturn 1.1 degrees south of the Moon; occultation: southeastern portion of Russia, northern tip of China.

* Sun., Dec. 9 (1965), 4:44 p.m. EST / 21:44 UTC - Anniversary of "UFO" Incident in Pittsburgh suburb of Kecksburg, Pennsylvania. (Dec. 9)

* Sun., Dec. 9, 11:00 p.m. EST / Dec. 10, 4:00 UTC - Dwarf Planet Pluto 0.7 degree south of the Moon; occultation: northeastern portion of China, eastern portion of Mongolia, eastern and southeastern portions of Russia, Japan, northern portion of Micronesia, Aleutian Island chain of Alaska.

* Mon., Dec. 10 - U.S. Mail-by Date, International Service, for Delivery by Christmas Day: Priority Mail International. (Dec. 9 to 10)

* Mon., Dec. 10 - Human Rights Day. (Dec. 10)

* Mon., Dec. 10 - Annual Nobel Prize Awards Ceremony (occurs on the date of death of Swedish inventor Alfred Nobel, who established annual awards), except awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize. (Dec. 10)

* Mon., Dec. 10 - Green Monday, described by E-Bay as the best on-line sales day in December. (Second Monday in December)

* Mon., Dec. 10 - Busiest Mailing Day of the Year. (Second Monday before Christmas Day)

* Tue., Dec. 11 - International Space Station Space-Walk by Russian cosmonauts Sergey Prokopyev and Oleg Kononenko to investigate the cause of a leak that was discovered in the Soyuz MS-09 spacecraft in August.

* Wed., Dec. 12, 7:00 a.m. EST / 12:00 UTC - Moon at apogee: 251,765 statute miles / 405,177 kilometers.

* Thur., Dec. 13 - Feast of Saint Lucy. Celebrated on the longest night of the year of the Juilian Calendar, prior to Gregorian calendar reform. (Dec. 13)

* Thur., Dec. 13 - Wreaths Across America where volunteers place wreaths at graves at many cemeteries. (Dec. 13) * Dec. 14 to Jan. 5 - CITIZEN SCIENCE: Audubon Society Christmas Bird Count. (Dec. 14 to Jan. 5)

* Fri., Dec. 14 (1807) - First recorded meteorite in the New World fell in Weston, Connecticut. (Dec. 14)

* Fri., Dec. 14 - Beginning of two-week period, centering on the Winter Solstice: Halcyon Days of December, when it is believed the seas would be calm and winds light. (Dec. 14)

* Fri., Dec. 14 - U.S. Mail-by Date, International Service, for Delivery by Christmas Day: Priority Mail Express International. (Dec. 14 to 15)

* Fri., Dec. 14 - Free Shipping Day by Internet merchants for delivery of Christmas gifts by Christmas Eve. (Third week in December)

* Fri., Dec. 14, 8:00 a.m. EST / 13:00 UTC (Best viewing: Midnight to Dawn) - Peak of Geminid Meteor Shower. (Dec. 13 to 14)

* Fri., Dec. 14, 6:00 p.m. EST / 23:00 UTC - Mars 4 degrees north of the Moon (as it appears in the sky, the Moon approaches closest to Mars at 8:52 p.m. EST / Dec. 15, 1:52 UTC).

* Sat., Dec. 15 (1965) - First rendezvous of two spacecraft (NASA Gemini 6 & 7), both containing astronauts, although there was no docking of the spacecraft. (Dec. 15)

* Sat., Dec. 15 (1791) - Anniversary of the ratification of the Bill of Rights amendments to the Constitution of the United States of America. (Dec. 15)

* Sat., Dec. 15 - U.S. Mail-by Date, Domestic Service, for Delivery by Christmas Day: Packages & Non-First Class Mail. (Dec. 15)

* Sat., Dec. 15, 6:49 a.m. EST / 11:49 UTC - Primary Moon Phase: First Quarter.

* Sun., Dec. 16 - Comet 46P/Wirtanen will make its closest approach to the Sun. It may be visible to the naked-eye just after dusk.

* Sun., Dec. 16 (1917) - Anniversary of the birth of famous science-fiction author Arthur C. Clarke.

* Mon., Dec. 17 - Beginning of ancient, week-long Roman festival of Saturnalia, which marked the end of the Autumn harvest and beginning of Winter planting; known for gift giving and feasting. (Dec. 17)

* Mon., Dec. 17 (1790) - Aztec Calendar Stone found. (Dec. 17)

* Mon., Dec. 17 (1903) - Wright Brothers Day, commemorating the first powered flight of a man in 1903, credited to the Wright Brothers. (Dec. 17)

* Mon., Dec. 17 - Busiest package delivery day of the year. (Monday before Christmas Eve)

* Tue., Dec. 18, 2:23 a.m. EST / 7:23 UTC - As it appears in the sky, the Moon approaches close to Uranus.

* Wed., Dec. 19, 8:42 p.m. EST / Dec. 20, 1:42 UTC - NASA astronaut Serena Auñón-Chancellor, European Space Agency astronaut Alexander Gerst and Russian cosmonaut Sergey Prokopyev leave the International Space Station, landing in Kazakhstan on Dec. 20 at 12:03 a.m. EST / 503 UTC.

* Wed., Dec. 19 (1958) - First radio broadcast transmitted from Outer Space - President Dwight D. Einsenhower, in a pre-recorded message, transmitted wishes for peace on Earth, via a short-wave radio frequency from the US Army's Project SCORE (Signal Communications by Orbiting Relay Equipment) communications satellite, which was launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida on 1958 December 18. (Dec. 19)

* Wed., Dec. 19 - Feast of Saint Nicholas (Orthodox: Julian Calendar). (Dec. 19)

* Wed., Dec. 19 - U.S. Mail-by Date, International Service, for Delivery by Christmas Day: Global Express Guaranteed. (Dec. 19 to 20)

* Wed., Dec. 19, 5:58 p.m. EST / 22:58 UTC - As it appears in the sky, Mercury enters Constellation Ophiuchus the Serpent-Bearer.

* Thur., Dec. 20 - U.S. Mail-by Date, Domestic Service, for Delivery by Christmas Day: First Class Mail - Packages. (Dec. 19 to 20)

* Thur., Dec. 20 - U.S. Mail-by Date, Domestic Service, for Delivery by Christmas Day: Priority Mail. (Dec. 20 to 21)

* Fri., Dec. 21 (1898) - The radioactive element Radium was discovered by Polish scientist Maria Sklodowska-Curie and her husband Pierre Curie. (Dec. 21)

* Fri., Dec. 21, 3:00 a.m. EST / 8:00 UTC - Star Aldebaran 1.7 degrees south of the Moon.

* Fri., Dec. 21, 10:00 a.m. EST / 15:00 UTC - Mercury 0.9 degree north Jupiter (as it appears in the sky, Mercury and Jupiter are the closest at 2:53 p.m. EST / 19:53 UTC).

* Fri., Dec. 21 - Homeless Persons' Memorial Day - The first day of winter. The longest night of the year (Dec. 21).

* Fri., Dec. 21, 5:23 p.m. EST / 22:23 UTC - Winter Solstice: beginning of Winter season in Earth's Northern Hemisphere (~Dec. 21 to 22).
Also see: "The Stars of Winter" and "The Star of Bethlehem" Planetarium Sky Dramas (web sites include entire planetarium show scripts), performed each Winter in the Theater of the Stars of Pittsburgh's original Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science.

* Sat., Dec. 22 - U.S. Mail-by Date, Domestic Service, for Delivery by Christmas Day: Priority Mail Express. (Dec. 22 to 23)

* Sat., Dec. 22, 12:49 p.m. EST / 17:49 UTC - Primary Moon Phase: Full Moon (Cold Moon or Long-Nights Moon).

* Sat., Dec. 22, 4:00 p.m. EST / 21:00 UTC (Best viewing: Midnight to Dawn) - Peak of the Ursid Meteor Shower. (Dec. 22)

* Sat., Dec. 22 - Super Saturday - Last major shopping day of the Christmas shopping season; Black Friday is considered the first major shopping day. (Day before Christmas Day)

* Sun., Dec. 23 (1672) - Second largest moon of Saturn, Rhea, discovered by noted Astronomer Giovanni Domenico Cassini. (Dec. 23)

* Sun., Dec. 23 (1947) - Anniversary of the unveiling of the Transistor by Bell Labs (then owned by the American Telephone and Telegraph Corporation). (Dec. 23)
Also see: Merger of Laser & Transistor Could Improve Computer Speed, Battery Life

* Sun., Dec. 23 - Festivus secular, non-commercial holiday popularized by the NBC-TV program Seinfeld. (Dec. 23)

* Sun., Dec. 23, 3:24 p.m. EST / 20:24 UTC - As it appears in the sky, Jupiter appears close to Star Antares.

* Dec. 24 to Jan. 2 - Christmas Day / New Year's Day Holiday Week (approx. Christmas Day to New Year's Day, including adjacent weekends).
Pittsburgh's original Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science scheduled expanded public hours during this holiday week --
Monday through Saturday: 9:00 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. (Friday - Observatory to 10:30 p.m.) EST
Sunday:12:00 Noon to 9:30 p.m. EST
EXCEPT -
Christmas Day: Closed
Christmas Eve, New Year's Eve: 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. EST (If Sunday, opened at 12:00 Noon)
New Year's Day: 9:00 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. EST (If Sunday, opened at 12:00 Noon)
Thanksgiving Day (in earlier years, December 1) was the beginning of the classic, "Star of Bethlehem" planetarium sky drama at Pittsburgh's original Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science. This traditional, holiday sky show, which provides possible, astronomical explanations for the star that guided the Three Wisemen to the Christ child, has been shown at Buhl Planetarium every Christmas season since 1939, and it is being shown Thanksgiving week through the beginning of the New Year at the Henry Buhl, Jr. Planetarium and Observatory at The Carnegie Science Center under the title, "The Christmas Star." This graphic was used to promote the show in Buhl's monthly, public newsletter, during Buhl Planetarium's 50th anniversary in 1989. More on this historic sky show, including a complete copy of the 1979 show script.

* Mon., Dec. 24 - Eve of Christmas Day (Traditional). (Dec. 24)

* Mon., Dec. 24 (1965) - First musical instruments played in Outer Space: playing of Christmas song "Jingle Bells" on an 8-note Hohner "Little Lady" harmonica and a handful of small bells, on the NASA Gemini 6 spacecraft. (Dec. 24)

* Mon., Dec. 24 (1968), 4:59 a.m. EST / 9:59 UTC - Anniversary of the first manned space flight to enter orbit of another planetary body (Earth's Moon) - NASA Apollo 8: Link 1 *** Link 2. (Dec. 24)

* Mon., Dec. 24, 5:00 a.m. EST / 10:00 UTC - Moon at perigee: 224,353 statute miles / 361,062 kilometers.

* Dec. 25 to Jan. 5 - The 12 days of Christmas. (Dec. 25)

* Tue., Dec. 25 - Christmas Day (Traditional) or Feast of the Nativity. (Dec. 25)
The classic "Star of Bethlehem" Planetarium Sky Drama performed every Christmas holiday season, 1939 through 1990, in the Theater of the Stars at Pittsburgh's original Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science.

* Tue., Dec. 25 - Winter Solstice according to ancient calendars. (Dec. 25)

* Tue., Dec. 25, 12:00 Midnight EST / 5:00 UTC - Moon 0.6 degree south of the Beehive Open Star Cluster (M44).

* Dec. 26 to Jan. 1 - Kwanzaa - Week-long holiday observance honoring African-American heritage. (Dec. 26)

* Wed., Dec. 26 - Boxing Day. (Dec. 26)

* Wed., Dec. 26 - Feast of St. Stephen. (Dec. 26)

* Wed., Dec. 26 - Spend Your Gift Card Day (although gift cards never expire). (Dec. 26)

* Wed., Dec. 26 - Venus at perihelion.

* Wed., Dec. 26, 12:40 p.m. EST / 17:40 UTC - As it appears in the sky, the Moon approaches very close to Star Regulus.

* Thur., Dec. 27 (1571) - Anniversary of the birth of German Astronomer Johannes Kepler. (Dec. 27)
Photograph of inscription of Kepler's name, just below the outer planetarium dome on Pittsburgh's original Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science.

* Sat., Dec. 29, 4:34 a.m. EST / 9:34 UTC - Primary Moon Phase: Last Quarter.

* Mon., Dec. 31 - Make Up Your Mind Day. (Dec. 31)

* Mon., Dec. 31 - Eve of New Year's Day (Traditional). (Dec. 31)

* Mon., Dec. 31, 7:00:00 p.m. EST / 2018 Jan. 1, 00:00:00 UTC - Marks the beginning of the New Year by the Coordinated Universal Time scale, the time scale used by many scientists. (Dec. 31)

* Mon., Dec. 31, 9:20 p.m. EST / 2019 Jan. 1, 2:20 UTC - Mars enters Constellation Aries the Ram.

* Tue., 2019 Jan. 1, 12:00:00 Midnight (00:00:00) Prevailing Local Time - For Eastern Standard Time (EST) Zone in North America: 12:00:00 Midnight EST / 5:00:00 Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) which correlates with 12:00:00 Midnight EST - New Year's Day: New Calendar Year begins. (Jan. 1)

* Tue., 2019 Jan. 1, early morning - NASA's New Horizons interplanetary space probe (which flew-past Dwarf Planet Pluto in 2015) is expected to fly-by Kuiper Belt asteroid Ultima Thule.