During the fall of 1996, there was a spectacular lunar eclipse on September 26 and the sun crossed the moon's node on October 1. As you know, the node moves forward by 20 days every year. The sun will again be crossing a node of the moon's orbit on March 19, 1997 and there will be a new moon on March 9.

1. What is the range of dates of the eclipse season in the spring of 1997?
   15 DAYS ON EITHER SIDE OF MARCH 19
2. What is the date of the solar eclipse during the spring?
   MARCH 9
3. How many days are there between a new moon and a full moon?
   14.75 DAYS
4. What is the date of the lunar eclipse during the spring?
   MARCH 23/24
5. When will the eclipse season again occur at the time of equinox?
   TWO SATISFACTORY ANSWERS:
   FALL OF 1997
   NEXT MAJOR STANDSTILL, 2005
6. During the spring of 1997 what is the cycle of the moon: major standstill, minor standstill, or half-way between major and minor standstills?
   MINOR STANDSILL<
7. 19 turns of a spiral petroglyph pecked on a cliff.
   FAJADA BUTTE
8. an average of 18.5 tick marks of a pictograph painted on a wall.
   CLIFF PALACE
9. approximately 18 years between successive construction episodes.
   CHIMNEY ROCK
10. What is the radius (distance in degrees from the pole) of the circumpolar region at Beijing?
    40 DEGREES
11. With a declination of 61o, Dubhe is the brightest star of Ursa Major. Would it be a circumpolar star at Beijing or Cairo? Is so, which?
    BOTH: BEIJING AND CAIRO
12. Due to precession, Polaris was 14o away from the pole at 0 B. C.; at what latitude would Polaris not have been a circumpolar star at that time?
    LESS THAN 14 DEGREES
13. Vernal equinox.
    TAURUS
14. Summer solstice.
    LEO
15. Autumnal equinox.
    SCORPIO
16. Winter solstice.
    AQUARIUS
17. What constellation now contains the sun at vernal equinox?
    PISCES
18. What new constellation will contain the sun at vernal equinox sometime after A. D. 2000?
    AQUARIUS
19. As seen from above the north pole of the earth, what direction does the earth turn?
    COUNTER CLOCKWISE
20. How slowly would the earth have to turn in order for the moon to rise in the west and set in the east? Hint: Think of Phobos and Deimos of Mars.
    SLOWER THAN THE SIDEREAL PERIOD OF THE MOON, 27.3 DAYS.