2010 Sky Calendar

Seasons and the Sun

Saturday, Jan 2
Earth at Perihelion (closest to the Sun – distance =91,422,023 miles or 147,098,036 km)

Saturday, March 20
Vernal Equinox at 8:32 PM HST – Spring officially begins. On equinox days the Sun rises directly East and sets directly West, with 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of night—hence it’s meaning, equal night. After this, daylight hours start to increase, and nights get shorter.

Monday, June 21
Summer Solstice at 2:28 AM HST – First day and start of Summer with the northern most sunrise and sunset, highest noon position of the Sun. This is the longest amount of daylight and shortest amount of night of the year.

Tuesday, July 6
Earth at Aphelion (farthest from the Sun – distance = 94,528,559 miles or 152,096,452 km)

Wednesday, Sept 22
Autumnal Equinox at 5:09 PM HST – Fall officially begins. On equinox days the Sun rises directly East and sets directly West, with 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of night—hence it’s meaning, equal night. After this, daylight hours decrease, and nights get longer.

Tuesday, Dec 21
Winter Solstice at 1:38 PM HST – Winter officially begins with the southern most sunrise and sunset, lowest noon position of the Sun. On this day we have the longest night, and shortest amount of daylight.

HST = Hawaiian Standard Time (GMT – 10h or 10hours behind Greenwich Mean Time)

Note: Hawaii does NOT observe Daylight Savings Time

For details on the night sky for the month of January click here, for February click here, and for March skies, click here.

Phases of the Moon – 2010

Eclipses in 2010

July 11, 2010 – Total Solar Eclipse
Total Solar Eclipse occurs when the New Moon passes precisely between the Sun and the Earth, blocking the Sun from our view along a narrow path. This year’s total eclipse is visible from the South Pacific and will NOT be visible in Hawaii. To see the totality you will need to travel to Tahiti, Rapa Nui, Mangaia, or be on a ship in that area. Totality will last 5 minutes and 20 seconds, making it one of the longer totalities in the next several years. Viewing a Solar Eclipse requires proper eye protection!

December 20, 2010 – Total Lunar Eclipse
A Total Lunar Eclipse takes place when the Full Moon passes through the Earth’s shadow. This causes the Moon to dim in appearance and often it turns a coppery red, or dark brown color during the event at totality. Lunar eclipses are easier to see as they are visible from half of the Earth at one time, unlike Solar eclipses where you need to be in a specific location. 

Hawaii is optimally placed for this Lunar Eclipse. Partial phase of the eclipse will begin at 8:32 PM HST. This phase will last 68 minutes and the Moon will continue to dim until totality which is at 9:40 PM HST. Totality will last 73 minutes. The color during totality depends on the Earth’s atmosphere and ranges from bright orange to the deep brown depending on dust and aerosols suspended in it. The more of this material, the darker it will appear. Totality ends at 10:54 PM HST and the partial phase will then continue until 12:02 AM HST on December 21. Lunar eclipses are completely safe to view with the unaided eye!

Major Meteor Showers in 2010

Meteor showers occur when the Earth passes through the debris left over by comet tails or other objects that orbit the Sun. Meteors appear as flashes of light and are sometimes called "shooting or falling stars" even though they really are not stars at all. Viewing meteors is best with the unaided eye on a moonless night at a dark location. 

*The Zenith Hourly Rate is the maximum rate per hour at the peak of the shower. While the meteor showers peak on specific dates, meteors are often visible for a few days prior to and after the peak date. 

Planet Viewing for 2010

Mercury
Mercury is a morning object from January 7 until March 14. It is again in the morning sky between April 29 and June 28 and again between September 3 and October 17. The best morning apparition of Mercury will be towards the end of May and early June, when the planet will rise an hour and a half before the sunrise. Mercury is an evening object March 15 to April 29, June 28 to September 3, and October 17 to December 20. 

Venus
Venus is an evening object from late January until the end of October. At first it will be a low object, setting less than an hour after the Sun until mid April. Venus will then get higher in the evening sky and be at its highest in August when the planet will set roughly 4 hours after sunset. Venus returns to the morning sky the first week of November, and by the end of the year will rise nearly two hours before sunrise. 

Mars
Mars is at opposition in January and will be an evening object for all of 2010. The best time to look for Mars will be in early February when it is high overhead and at its maximum brightness for the year.

Jupiter
Jupiter starts 2010 setting shortly after sunset. Jupiter is at conjunction with the Sun at the end of February and will be lost in the glare of the Sun until early March. It will then re-emerge in the morning sky prior to sunrise. For the next five months it will rise early and earlier after midnight. Jupiter is at opposition on September 21 making it visible from sunset to sunrise during that month and it finishes out 2010 as a nice evening planet.

Saturn
Saturn starts the year as a morning object rising about 2 AM. It reaches opposition on March 22 rising at sunset and in the sky all night. By May it will be well placed for evening viewing until mid-September. It will then be lost in the Sun's glare as it moves to conjunction with the Sun on October 1. After conjunction it returns to the morning sky in late October. By the end of the year it will be up more than 3 hours before the Sun, so readily visible in the pre-dawn sky. During the year Saturn's rings will become a little more exposed to view as compared to 2009.

The Days of the Week

The origins of our days of the week come from the five planets visible to the unaided eye together with the Sun and the Moon. Monday or Moon Day, Sunday or Sun Day, Saturday or Saturn Day are very apparent and are Old English adaptations of the Roman names. Tuesday was named in honor of Mars (Tiw's Day was an Old English adaptation of the Norse god of war). Wednesday was in honor of Mercury (Woden’s Day from the Germanic god of wisdom). Thursday was in honor of Jupiter (Thor's Day to the Norse god of thunder associated with Jupiter). Friday was in Honor of Venus (Frige’s Day from Germanic god of beauty and love associated with Venus).