1. Time & Calendars Study Guide Name: ______________________
Earth Science B Date: _______________________
1. Why do the constellations appear to change with the seasons?
2. Fill in:
Unit Length Description
Solar Day
Sidereal Day
Synodic Month
Sidereal Month
Tropical Year
Sidereal Year
3. Write the meaning below each day name:
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday
4. Fill in:
Event Date Season Overhead Tradition
March
Equinox
June
Solstice
September
Equinox
December
Solstice
5. What are the cross-quarter days?
6. Define: Precession

2. Use the Path of the Pole diagram for the the next two questions:
7. In which constellation is Polaris located?
8. When will each star be the “North Star?”
Alderamin: __________ Deneb: __________
Vega: __________ Thuban: __________
9. At our longitude in the Eastern Standard time zone, what time is the
sun due south? (It is not 12:00pm).
10. What is the equation of time?
11. What two features of the earth and its revolution are responsible for the analemma shape?
12. In the analemma photo, indicate the position of the sun
during:
_____ summer _____ winter _____ spring _____ fall
13. Define: Perihelion
Aphelion
14. What are two types of sundials?
15. What is the name of the triangular pointer on a horizontal sundial? Towards what does it point?
16. Fill in: Western Calendars
Calendar Days Used Founder Features
Roman
Julian
Gregorian
17. When do the Dog Days occur? What does the “dog” refer to?

3. 18. How was Washington’s birthday able to occur on Feb 11, 1732 and Feb 22 1732?
19. Describe the formula for dating Easter.
20. List two lunar calendars that are still in use.
21. Describe the Julian Day. In what year did the Julian Day cycles all start together?
22. Describe the BC, AD system of counting years. What is the “politically correct” system of counting years?
23. In the French Revolutionary calendar, what were the months named for?
24. If the French Revolutionary calendar were still in use, what would be the current year?
25. Fill In: Maya Time Cycles:
Cycle Length
Tzolkin
Haab
Calendar Round (Tzolkin and Haab combined)
Long Count (Baktun)
26. In the World Calendar, what weekday would Christmas occur every year?