Month | JAN | FEB | MAR | APR | MAY | JUN | JUL | AUG | SEP | OCT | NOV | DEC 
------|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----
# Hrs |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     

H  16 --|
O      -|
U  15 --|
R      -|
S  14 --|                                               |-- 90  T
       -|                                               |-      E
D  13 --|                                               |-- 80  M
A      -|                                               |-      P
Y  12 --|                                               |-- 70  E
L      -|                                               |-      R
I  11 --|                                               |-- 60  A
G      -|                                               |-      T
H  10 --|                                               |-- 50  U
T      -|                                               |-      R
   09 --|-----------------------------------------------|-- 40  E
        | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
                          MONTHS OF YEAR

Month | JAN | FEB | MAR | APR | MAY | JUN | JUL | AUG | SEP | OCT | NOV | DEC
------|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----
Temp. |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |

1. In 1816, how many states were in the United States?

2. The unusually cold Summer of 1816 was most likely caused by three major volcano eruptions between 1812 and 1815. In the following table, list the name and location of those three volcanoes. On the world map (lower right), plot the approximate location of each volcano. [Hint: One of the volcanoes is located in the Caribbean; the other two are located in Asia. Refer to an atlas of the world, or visit XPEDITIONS, the National Geographic Society e-Atlas.]

   Volcano Name Location

3. How does dust and ash high in the Earth's atmosphere cool the Earth's surface?

4. Approximately how many years did it take for dust from the recent Pinatubo eruption in the Philippines to settle out of the Earth's atmosphere?

1. Explain the difference between polar-orbiting and geostationary weather satellites.

2. Clouds form as air rises and evaporate as air sinks. Use this fact to explain why High Pressure systems (Highs) are usually associated with fair weather and clear skies, and Low Pressure systems (Lows) are usually associated with cloudy skies and a chance of precipitation.

1. For the MONTH IN WHICH YOU WERE BORN (e.g., August), list THREE astronomical phenomena that you may observe in the night sky in 2000.

   MONTH ____________________

   1. 
      
   2. 
      

2. Remember the mnemonic, Spring forward; Fall back? List the dates when Daylight Saving Time begins and ends. [Hint: Refer to the almanac for the months of April and October.]

3. List the name (and date) of the two major meteor showers (a "shower" of "shooting stars") which occur annually during the months of November and December.

4. Aphelion is the point on the Earth's orbit around the Sun at which the Earth-Sun distance is greatest. During the year 2000, when is the Earth at aphelion? [Hint: Contrary to logic, this event occurs during the Summer month of July.]

5. List the date and time of the partial solar eclipse (about 50% of the Sun's disk will be covered by the Moon) which will be visible from the Washington, D.C. area in the year 2000. What is the phase of the Moon during a solar eclipse? [Note: Never look directly at the Sun--blindness may result!]

6. List the date and time of the total lunar eclipse which occurs in January 2000.

7. The Moon appears to change shape in a predictable cycle. For the month of FEBRUARY, record the dates of the phases of the moon.

8. In the year 2000, how many days are there in the month of February? What do we call a year in which February has more than 28 days?

9. Every year, Easter occurs on the first Sunday after the first Full Moon after the March (or Spring) Equinox.
   1. What date is the March Equinox?

   2. On what date is the NEXT Full Moon AFTER the March Equinox?

   3. What date is Easter Sunday? (If necessary, refer to a calendar.)

10. What is astronomically significant about June 20th, 2000 at 9:48 p.m.?

11. If the distance around the Capital Beltway (I-495/95) is 66 miles, and the distance to the moon is approximately 240,000 miles, then how many times would you have to go around the Beltway to "travel" to the moon?

12. Most days, how many high tides occur? Approximately how many hours apart?

13. Most days, how many low tides occur? Approximately how many hours apart?

14. Approximately how many hours pass between one high tide and the next low tide?

15. The greatest tidal range (difference between high and low tide) occurs during the New and Full Moon phases. For the month of May, on which dates will the tidal range be greatest?

16. Assume that you would like to go fossil shark tooth collecting along the Potomac River near Colonial Beach, VA, and you know that the best time to go collecting is during low tide. Use the "Tide Correction Table" on page 2 of the almanac to find the best times to go collecting on 4 July 2000. There are two times; logically, which time is better for shark tooth collecting?

1. Who is credited with numbering our calendar beginning with the number one?

2. When does the 20th century (as well as the current millenium) really end?