Easter and Passover are based on a lunar calendar. Our civil calendar is based on the sun, with a day defined as 24 hours, and a year defined as 365 days (366 days in a leap year).
While our civil calendar is more than 2,000 years old and is based on the system devised under Julius Caesar, it is relatively new compared to lunar calendars based on the phases of the moon.
Lunar months average 29.5 days (a lunar cycle from new moon to new moon or full moon to full moon).
The historic Chinese calendar bases its month on the new moon, while the Hindu calendar begins each month on the full moon. The Hebrew calendar and the Islamic calendars are based on the first sighting of a very thin lunar crescent after the new moon. Because lunar calendars do not coincide with our everyday civil calendar, lunar calendars are now used mainly for religious purposes.
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A week from today, on the morning of Thursday, April 16, hope for clear skies. Starting at 5:15 a.m., look at the eastern horizon. Have binoculars ready to spot the nearly 29-day-old moon just above the horizon. To the right (south) of the moon 8 degrees is Saturn, and slightly higher are Mars and Mercury.
Faculty concerned about changes to U of A admissions policy
