Classical Astronomy - Home of the Signs & Seasons Curriculum

Classical Astronomy...the traditional practice of observing the sky, to tell time and to navigate by the Sun, Moon and stars.

Learn to follow the seasonal cycles of the celestial bodies, and to find the bright visible planets in the night sky - all from your own backyard.

Keep up with timely events in the night sky with the Classical Astronomy Update, an email newsletter especially for the benefit of homeschool families (though everyone is welcome!)

Discover the forgotten foundation of astronomy, as it had been practiced down through all human history, from the ancient Babylonians and Egyptians, the Greeks and Romans, through the classical Quadrivium, and up to the American Almanacks.

Also discover the astronomical basis for keeping the Hebrew calendar, as described in the Bible, and the appointed purpose for the Sun, Moon and stars... for signs and seasons, and days and years. - Genesis 1:14

CLASSICAL ASTRONOMY SPECIAL!

By classicalastro1 May 10, 2017 May 11, 2017 Special Offers

SPECIAL! Order our Signs & Seasons homeschool astronomy curriculum along with the Field Journal workbook and receive a FREE copy of Moonfinder, our children’s storybook for helping kids (and their parents!) learn about the cycle of the Moon’s phases! Limited time only! Order now from our Online Store! Signs & Seasons Understanding the Elements of Classical Astronomy Finally! A homeschool curriculum … Continue reading

Venus, Mars and the Moon

By classicalastro1 January 30, 2017 January 30, 2017 Lunar-Planetary Conjunctions, Seeing Mars in the Sky, Seeing the Planets, Seeing Venus in the Sky

VENUS, MARS AND THE MOON: Look outside this evening to see the dazzling bright “star” VENUS shining in the evening sky. Notice the fainter, yellowish “star” nearby. This is the planet MARS. You’ll easily find these planets on the evening of Tuesday, January 31 when they are joined by the four-day-old waxing crescent Moon. These three bodies will make a … Continue reading

Quote from Gene Cernan, Moonwalker

By classicalastro1 January 17, 2017 January 30, 2017 NASA and the Planets

Quotation from “The Last Man on the Moon” by Eugene Cernan and Don Davis, 1999, St. Martin’s Press, New York. NASA photo.

Earthrise

By classicalastro1 December 24, 2016 January 30, 2017 NASA and the Planets

This very famous photo called “Earthrise” was snapped 48 years ago today, on December 24, 1968. This is the very first picture ever taken of the “Full Earth,” so that the entire globe can fit inside a single image frame. It would be impossible to explain to a young person today, nearly a half century later, how this image rocked … Continue reading

Winter Solstice

By classicalastro1 December 19, 2016 January 30, 2017 Seasonal Sun, The Sun Among the Stars

WINTER SOLSTICE: Everybody knows that December 21 is the shortest day of the year but not many people know why. The Sun reaches its maximum southern declination of the year. For those of us in the northern hemisphere, that means the noon Sun is lowest in the sky of any date of the year. From latitude 40 degrees north (New … Continue reading

Venus, Mars and the Moon

By classicalastro1 December 3, 2016 January 30, 2017 Lunar-Planetary Conjunctions, Seeing Mars in the Sky, Seeing the Planets, Seeing Venus in the Sky

MOON AND PLANETS THIS WEEKEND! Mars has put on quite a show in 2016, and the year ends with an extended “visitation” with the bright planet Venus. Spot these blazing “stars” as the waxing crescent Moon passes by this weekend. And then keep your eyes on Venus and Mars as they draw closer and remain close until February, 2017. These … Continue reading

SUPERDUPERMOON! NOVEMBER 14!

By classicalastro1 November 7, 2016 November 7, 2016 Lunar Cycles, Moon

SUPERDUPERMOON??? The media LOVES to hype these so-called “supermoons,” which come around every year or so, when the Full Moon is closer to Earth than at “normal” times. But the Full Moon of November 14, 2016 will be a “superdupermoon,” the biggest, closest supermoon since 1948, and the biggest and closest that the Moon will appear until the year 2034!!!! … Continue reading

The Shadows of the Passing Seasons

By classicalastro1 October 28, 2016 October 28, 2016 Seasonal Sun

In our newsletter and in our Signs & Seasons curriculum, we simply try to point out the easily-observable aspects of Classical Astronomy that are usually overlooked in our modern generation. One of those aspects is the varying length of shadows over the span of the year. As the Sun moves through the zodiac constellations over the annual cycle of the … Continue reading

Father’s Day Conjunctions

By classicalastro1 June 16, 2016 June 14, 2016 Lunar-Planetary Conjunctions, Seeing Mars in the Sky, Seeing Saturn in the Sky, Seeing the Planets

The bright red planet MARS has been sharing the constellation Scorpius with the planet SATURN in 2016. These two make a pretty sight in the southern sky in the current season, as they move about through this conspicuous constellation. The scene always gets more interesting when the Moon wanders by, as it does each month. But June’s show is only … Continue reading

The Moon Passes Saturn and Mars

By classicalastro1 May 21, 2016 May 5, 2016 Lunar-Planetary Conjunctions, Moon

The planets Mars and Saturn are very close together throughtout much of 2016. Both of these planets are currently retrograding, which means they appear to be moving backwards through the constellations. The Full Moon swings through this scene this week, and this is therefore a great time to learn to identify these planets, and also the conspicuous constellation of Scorpius.