ARE FOUR SEASONS ENOUGH

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Astronomy

Morning Venus and Solar Eclipse . On April 1, Venus rises in the East/Northeast only 35 minutes before the Sun, but by the 10th it will rise an hour before the Sun, and by the 30th, over an hour and a half. Always the brightest point of light in the heavens, Venus gets even brighter than usual this spring. It reaches "greatest brilliancy" on May 7, but before then, we might see the finest astronomical event of the spring: its close encounter with the Moon on the morning of April 19 (see "Sky Calendar"). If you can still locate the lunar crescent towards midday, a small telescope or binoculars may show the Moon approaching Venus until it moves right in front of the planet. In Hawaii, the hiding before sunrise is spectacular.

The partial eclipse of the Sun on May 21 is an early morning event, visible from the northwestern two-thirds of the United States. On the Pacific Coast, people can see the Sun rise with a "bite" taken out of it. (Caution: Don't try to observe this eclipse without the proper filter.)

What else is in the heavens this April and May? The finest constellation sight right now is the Big Dipper, upside down and at its biggest in the north sky at night.

Special Days

Almost every American knows of Easter, Passover, and Memorial Day, but there are plenty of springtime holidays and traditions which have only had prominence across the Atlantic, and which may seem odd to Americans.

Oak Apple Day (Restoration Day), May 29, is a commemoration of the battle of Wooster in 1651. An oak apple (or oat gall) is a swelling on a branch caused by larval infection. The tradition was to carry oak branches with galls in order to symbolize loyalty to King Charles II (who hid in an oak tree for 24 hours after being defeated by Cromwell in this battle. Village children would gather nettles and playfully whip other children who weren't carrying oak branches.

Then there are the days of "The Three Ice Saints of May" on May 11, 12, and 13. The saints are Mamertus, Pancras, and Servatius, respectively. Europeans considered these days to mark the end of the time when killing frosts were likely to occur. Not many Americans are aware of this tradition, but it holds true for northern United States too.

Almanac for April and May 1993

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