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almanac

ROSS’S ALMANAC For April 2012

Compiled by Kirk Ross

Whoa. Somewhere in the almanac’s vast photo archives is a cell phone photo the Mrs. took of my pollen-covered car with the date scrawled on the hood. If memory serves, the date is in the second week of April. So, yes, it was unexpected to find the deck, car and dog thoroughly dusted the other morning. You have to wonder what else has gotten an early start.

Good news: This month (and hopefully for a good long while), the Almanac’s moon, planets and stars information comes by way of Amy Sayle at UNC’s Morehead Planetarium and Science Center (moreheadplanetarium.org).

My apologies for last month’s errors in what to look for in the heavens. The incident was proof that science should be left up to, you know, scientists. (Evidently, my sextant was set on Fahrenheit instead of Celsius.)

April 1 – Sunrise 7:02 a.m.; Sunset 7:39 p.m.
April 30 – Sunrise 6:25 a.m.; Sunset 8:03 p.m.

Full Moon – April 6 Last Quarter – April 13
New Moon – April 21 First Quarter – April 29

The full moon in April is known as the Egg Moon, Pink Moon, Fish Moon and Seed Moon

Planets & Stars: The incredibly bright “star” in the west after sunset is planet Venus. Below lies Jupiter, which slides farther away from Venus and finally slips away into evening twilight near the end of the month. Mars appears high in the South or Southeast at dusk. Mid-month, Saturn reaches opposition – rising in the east at sunset, staying up all night and setting in the west at sunrise. Mercury pops up in the east less than an hour or so before sunrise and will be difficult to spot all month. —Amy Sayle, Morehead Planetarium and Science Center

April is National Humor Month, Keep America Beautiful Month, National Poetry Month, National Pecan Month, International Guitar Month and STRESS AWARENESS MONTH!!!!

Significant Dates
• April 1 is usually April Fools’ Day, but it’s been canceled this year
• April 2 is National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day and Children’s Book Day
• April 6 is Good Friday
• World Health Day is April 7
• April 8 is Easter Sunday
• April 16 is National Librarian Day
• Both Blah, Blah, Blah Day and National Cheeseball Day are on April 17
• Newspaper Columnist Day, when you really should buy your favorite newspaper columnist a beverage, is April 18
• Earth Day is April 22
• April 23 is World Laboratory Day
• All Right! National High Five Day is April 19
• Take your daughter to work day is April 26
• Arbor Day is April 27