2009 Printable Calendar for Skywatchers

(click the title above to open the calendar in a new window, or
right-click and "save as" to download it to your computer)
Last updated: 1/2/2009

[Update, 1/3/2009: Moon and Sun rise and set times during Standard Time periods were off by one hour in a previous version. If you downloaded this file before 1/3/2009 17:00 UT, please download again to get the corrected version.]

There are many fine references to prepare you for upcoming astronomical events, but I haven't found one single spot that provides an easy-to-read intuitive list of events customized for my own time zone (all times shown are Pacific Time, with Daylight Savings accounted for). I like a calendar format, and this is my second attempt at filling that void.

The calendar is designed to be printed duplexed along the short edge onto legal-sized (8.5x14-inch) paper, then folded in half and stapled in the crease. You'll need three sheets of paper. I'd recommend card stock for best results. This will also print very nicely on ledger-sized (11x17-inch) paper.

Instructions:

1. Print pages 1-6 of the calendar duplexed (flipped) along the short edge. The two sides must end up upside-down relative to each other (you'd flip the paper vertically to see the two sides oriented the same way).
   If your printer won't duplex:
   1. Pull out (disengage) the standard paper tray if it has one.
   2. Place one sheet of legal paper in your manual feed tray and let it print.
   3. Feed the same sheet to print on the blank side, opposite direction. This typically means blank side up, bottom-first.
   4. Repeat until done (three sheets total)
2. Stack the printed sheets such that:
   1. The bottom sheet has "February" facing you along the top,
   2. The middle sheet has "April" facing you along the top, and
   3. the top sheet has "June" facing you along the top.
3. Fold the stack in half with "June" and "July" facing each other on the inside.
4. Staple the crease (this is the hardest part unless you have a very long stapler).
5. Punch a hole in the middle along the open edge if you want to hang it on a nail.

• Astronomical events are in purple, all times Pacific.
• Especially interesting events are boldfaced (and larger, where it fits).
• Historical events are green. They're filler for otherwise uneventful days.
• Daylight Savings change notices are in a different shade of green, and much larger point.
• I tried to get Moon and Sunb rises and sets to show up on Saturdays, but they were filler and will appear at other times of the week as spece allowed.
• Special days of the year are printed in black next to the dates.
• WA state holidays have the dates printed in large red numbers and the names of those days (e.g., Christmas) also in red.
• All times are Pacific time (I made this calendar for myself, and I'm in that time zone).

Sorry about missing observance days that may be of significance to you. My main purpose in creating this calendar was to satisfy my own needs, and event labels take up valuable space. If you want the Word version so you can edit your own, I'll be happy to e-mail it to you.

Above all, please enjoy it!

Sources of information:

• The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada's "Observer Handbook 2009" - an annual publication chock-full of great information costing $34 wit shipping) - and their $17 "Observer's Calendar". To order, go to www.store.rasc.ca.
• Astronomy Lab v. 1.14 by Eric Bergman-Terrell. You can download the $20 shareware from www.personalmicrocosms.com. The current version is 2.03.
• "A Year of the Night Sky 2009" calendar by Richard Talcott and Charles Nix. I got it from Barnes & Noble
• SkyGlobe version 3.6. This is DOS-based shareware ($20). Here's one site where you can get it: astrosoc.soc.ru.ac.za/archive/docs/skyglobe_course.html
• Chris Marriott's SkyMap version 2.2.9, for when I needed real precision. The current version comes in two flavors: "11" and "Lite". I'm guessing the Lite version ($45) is what I'd get nowadays. www.skymap.com/smlite_order.htm