Bob Moler's Ephemeris Blog

Monday, February 28th.  The sun will rise at 7:22.  It’ll be up for 11 hours and 6 minutes, setting at 6:28.   The moon, half way from last quarter to new, will rise at 5:34 tomorrow morning.

During March, which starts tomorrow, the increase in daylight hours are at its greatest, with Spring 3 weeks away.  Daylight hours will increase from 11 hours and 9 minutes tomorrow to 12 hours and 42 minutes on the 31st.  Along with that the altitude of the sun at noon will increase from 38 degrees tomorrow to 49 ½ degrees at month’s end.  Local noon, by the way for Interlochen and Traverse City is about 12:50 p.m, which is mainly due to the fact that our standard time meridian happens to run through Philadelphia.  The MESSENGER spacecraft will arrive at Mercury and will enter into orbit of this innermost planet after a 7 year odyssey on the 18th.  Here on earth spring will start at 7 20 p.m. on the 20th.

* Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan.  They may be different for your location.