Features of the Diary

   The Astronomical Diary for 2007 (giving times of equinoxes, solstices, eclipses, lunar phases, and beginning/ending dates of Eastern Daylight Saving Time) is tabulated here. Note that starting in 2007 Public Law 109-58 requires Daylight Saving to begin earlier and end later than in past years.

.  Not just for Astronomy!
   Many phenomena on Earth relate to celestial events; and even observation of sky phenomena can depend on absence of Moonlight interference. Here are some suggestions for how the Diary might help naturalists.

.  Wildlife observation
   Observations of some nocturnal critters can be carried out for several days around Full Moon, when it is bright enough to see. Keep in mind that the Moon rises about 45 minutes later each evening. This ditty* might help one remember the Moonrise and Moonset pattern. To plan a Moonlit canoe ride or shore walk, be aware that in the days after Full, the Moon will not rise until after twilight. So choose the days before or exactly on the Full if you don't want to wait a long time for Moonlight. For woodside observation of owls, fireflies over fields, “foxfire” glow of forest fungi, and seaside viewing of zooplankton and jellyfish, use the table to plan for the dark of the Moon.

.  Tides
   Times of high and low tides depend on location on Earth and, to an important extent, the geometry of the shoreline and nearby sea floor. One can always consult tide tables at need, but a useful rule of thumb can help. Tides are primarily controlled by the Moon, so they advance about 45 minutes per day. Let's say you want to observe starfish and you know that low tide will be at 3 pm on Wednesday. Then you can expect that by Sunday low tide will be about three hours later, i.e. 6 pm. However since there are usually two of each tide daily , the other low tide of the day would be about 12 hours earlier, giving you a window of time in the early morning, which might better fit your schedule and/or the weather conditions.

.  Meteors, Aurorae, Milky Way
   Dark skies are necessary to see these celestial sights, so assure that Moonlight will not interfere by consulting the Diary. The Maine Meteor Showers Calendar is specially compiled to take Moonlight interference into account.

.  Seasons
   The longest daylight of the year is about fifteen and a half hours in Maine and falls on the Summer Solstice in late June, not – as it might seem – in July. On that date that the sun rises the farthest Northeast of the year and sets the farthest Northwest, illuminating some exceptional corners of your house and grounds. The converse is true for the Winter Solstice in late December. By then hibernating mammals and reptiles have long gone to their dens, and many amphibians are overwintering under the mud of pond bottoms.

.  Astronomical curiosities of 2007
   As you are sure to notice, there are two Full Moons in May. There is no astronomical significance for this happenstance, but it is interesting to note, nonetheless. Folklore has settled on the name "blue Moon" signifying its infrequent occurrence. The Moon's synodic period of revolution around the Earth, known as a lunation, is approximately 29.5 days. May begins with a Full Moon on the 2nd, so two just happen to both squeeze into that month. The system of traditional names allows for a thirteenth Full Moon.

.  Eclipses
   There are usually two periods a year, called "eclipse seasons", when the alignment of Sun, Earth and Moon allow lunar and solar eclipses. This year they occur in early March and late August. There isn't a cosmic law favoring the view of eclipses in Maine, nor even for the Northern Hemisphere. However the Cosmos grudgingly offers us two in 2007. The show starts just before the listed time of Full Moon, since Lunar eclipses by their very nature must occur at the Full. In a total lunar eclipse the Moon crosses fully into the dark part of the Earth's shadow. The partial phase of the March 3 eclipse begins just as the Moon rises in our State. So if the weather cooperates we will see the whole event. However the August 28 eclipse partial phase begins about an hour before sunrise, our time. The Moon will set about 5:54 am EDST, just as the total eclipse phase has begun. At least we'll get almost half of the show!

• March 3, 2007 lunar eclipse:
  Partial phase begins: 5:30 pm EST
  Total eclipse begins: 6:44 pm EST 
  Maximum eclipse: 7:20 pm EST
  Total eclipse ends: 7:58 pm EST
  Partial phase ends: 8:12 pm EST
• August 28, 2007 lunar eclipse:
  Partial phase begins: 4:54 am EDST
  Total Eclipse Begins: 5:53 am EDST

*New Moon’s unseen as it rises and sets with the Sun.
 First Quarter rises at noon, at midnight it’s done.
 Full Moon lights all the night, from sunlight it hides.
 Last Quarter's up at midnight; till high noon it rides.

All times given in Eastern Time (Standard or Daylight Saving, as appropriate)*
Event		Date	Time
Full Moon		Wed., Jan. 3	8:57 am EST
Last Quarter		Thurs., Jan. 11	7:45 am EST
New Moon		Thurs., Jan. 18	11:01pm EST
First Quarter		Thurs., Jan. 25	6:01 pm EST
Full Moon		Fri., Feb. 2	12:45 am EST
Last Quarter		Sat., Feb. 10	4:51 am EST
New Moon		Sat., Feb. 17	11:14 am EST
First Quarter		Sat., Feb. 24	2:56 am EST
Total Lunar Eclipse		Sat., Mar. 3	see sidebar
Full Moon		Sat., Mar. 3	6:17 pm EST
Daylight Saving Time begins		Sun., Mar. 11	2:00 am EST
Last Quarter		Sun., Mar. 11	11:54 pm EDST
New Moon		Sun, Mar. 18	10:43 pm EDST
Vernal Equinox		Tues., Mar. 20	8:07 pm EDST
First Quarter		Sun., Mar. 25	2:16 pm EDST
Full Moon		Mon., Apr. 2	1:15 pm EDST
Last Quarter		Tues., Apr. 10	3:04 pm EDST
New Moon		Tues., Apr. 17	7:36 am EDST
First Quarter		Tues., Apr. 24	1:36 am EDST
Full Moon		Wed., May 2	6:09 am EDST
Last Quarter		Thurs, May 10	12:27 am EDST
New Moon		Wed., May 16	3:27 pm EDST
First Quarter		Wed, May 23	5:03 pm EDST
Full Moon		Thurs, May 31	9:04 pm EDST
Last Quarter		Fri., June 8	7:43 am EDST
New Moon		Thurs., June 14	11:13 pm EDST
Summer Solstice		Thurs., June. 21	2:06 pm EDST
First Quarter		Fri, June 22	9:15 am EDST
Full Moon		Sat., June 30	9:49 am EDST
Last Quarter		Sat., July 7	12:54 pm EDST
New Moon		Sat., July 14	8:04 am EDST
First Quarter		Sun, July 22	2:29 am EDST
Full Moon		Sun, July. 29	8:48 pm EDST
Last Quarter		Sun., Aug. 5	5:20 pm EDST
New Moon		Sun, Aug. 12	7:03 pm EDST
First Quarter		Mon., Aug. 20	7:54 pm EDST
Total Lunar Eclipse		Tues., Aug. 28	see sidebar
Full Moon		Tues., Aug. 28	6:35 am EDST
Last Quarter		Mon., Sept. 3	10:32 pm EDST
New Moon		Tues., Sept. 11	8:44 am EDST
First Quarter		Wed., Sept. 19	12:48 am EDST
Autumnal Equinox		Sun, Sept. 23	5:51 am EDST
Full Moon		Wed., Sept. 26	3:45 pm EDST
Last Quarter		Wed., Oct. 3	6:06 am EDST
New Moon		Thurs., Oct. 11	1:01am EDST
First Quarter		Fri., Oct. 19	4:33 am EDST
Full Moon		Fri., Oct. 26	12:52 am EDST
Last Quarter		Thurs., Nov. 1	5:18 pm EDST
Daylight Saving Time ends		Sun., Nov. 4	2:00 am EDST
New Moon		Fri., Nov. 9	6:03 pm EST
First Quarter		Sat., Nov. 17	5:33 pm EST
Full Moon		Sat., Nov. 24	9:30 am EST
Last Quarter		Sat., Dec. 1	7:44 am EST
New Moon		Sun., Dec. 9	12:40 pm EST
First Quarter		Mon., Dec. 17	5:18 am EST
Winter Solstice		Sat., Dec. 22	1:08 am EST
Full Moon		Sun., Dec. 23	8:16 pm EST
Last Quarter		Mon., Dec. 31	2:51am EST

*  All times are given in the format most useful to Maine, i.e. Eastern Time (Standard or Daylight Savings, as appropriate). Some almanacs and calendars are casual about the time zone, and/or give the data in Universal Time (Greenwich Mean Time).
Note: The lunar and solar events given in this table do not depend on one's location on Earth. Therefore the times are the moments (in Eastern Time) when they precisely occur. However, sunrise, sunset, moonrise and moonset do depend on location. Link to the U.S. Naval Observatory's Astronomical Applications: Data Online page to calculate these when needed.