Vernal Equinox and the Spring Moon

Vernal Equinox, when Sun appears to cross over the Celestial Equator, occurs at 5:58 pm edt on Wednesday, March 20, 2019, followed 3.5 hours later by the first full Moon of the season at 9:28 pm.

Technically, this should be the Moon that triggers the Spring Festivals of renewal, such as the Passover and easter, but Church calendar rules make it so that this is NOT the Moon used for dating those events this year. As a result, Easter and Passover come a full month later, at the time of the April 19 Full Moon.

Still, it’s worthy to note the following in your seasonal contemplation:

Equinox March 20 at 5:58 pm (all times eastern daylight time)

Full Moon March 20 at 9:28 pm

Feast of Gabriel March 24

Feast of Annunciation March 25

The star Alphard in the serpent Hydra comes highest in our sky March 26

Mercury turns direct after its three week retrograde March 28

Image by Seung-Hwan Chung