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VeleposlanstvoRepublike Hrvatske u Sjedinjenim Americkim Drzavama

Embassy of theRepublic of Croatia to the United States of America

2343Massachusetts Avenue, N.W., Washington D.C. 20008

                   Press office,  Phone:(202) 986 9476      Fax.: (202) 588 8938

                   E-mail: press@croatiaemb.org              www.croatiaemb.org

PRESS RELEASE

Povodom 10. obljetnice priznanja Republike Hrvatske od strane SAD
‘Croatian Day’ obiljezava se u gradovima sirom SAD

Washington DC, 5. travnja – Sjedinjene Americke Drzave 7.travnja 1992. godine priznale su Republiku Hrvatsku. Tim se povodom, na desetuobljetnicu priznanja, u nizu americkih gradova, proglasava Hrvatski dan –Croatian Day. Veleposlanstvo Republike Hrvatske u SAD iniciralo je ikoordiniralo obiljezavanje ovog povijesnog datuma, jednog od najvaznijih umodernoj hrvatskoj povijesti, u svim gradovima u SAD u kojima Republika Hrvatskaima svoja diplomatsko-konzularna predstavnistva, a generalni i pocasni konzulatiangazirali su se u provedbi ove ideje.
U Chicagu je, tako, u nazocnosti gradonacelnika Richarda Daleya, u Gradskojvijecnici uz zvuke hrvatske himne podignuta hrvatska zastava te generalnomkonzulu Republike Hrvatske u Chicagu Domagoju soli predana svecana povelja. Nadogađaju je govorila i dr. Dijana Plestina, specijalna savjetnica ministravanjskih poslova Republike Hrvatske Tonina Picule.
Na zamolbu generalnog konzula Republike Hrvatske dr. Mise Munivrane, grad LosAngeles proglasio je pocetkom tjedna Hrvatski dan.
Ured gradonacelnika New Yorka proglasit ce Hrvatski dan u ponedjeljak, 8.travnja, za sto se pobrinuo generalni konzul Republike Hrvatske u New YorkuDomagoj Kero.
Gradovi blizanci, St. Paul i Minneapolis, kao i cijela savezna drzava Minnesota,obiljezili si desetu obljetnicu americkog priznanja Republike Hrvatske danas, upetak, 5. travnja, proglasivsi Dan Hrvatske. Tamosnju je proslavu organiziraoBoris Miksic, pocasni konzul Republike Hrvatske u St. Paulu, Minnesota.
Novi pocasni konzul Republike Hrvatske u New Orleansu, James Coleman, priznanjeRepublike Hrvatske obiljezit ce u nedjelju 7. travnja gradonacelnikovimproglasavanjem Hrvatskog dana te prigodnim piknikom na kojem ce sudjelovatipredstavnici gradskih vlasti i medija New Orleansa.
U surađujuci s gradskim vlastima u Pittsburghu, pocasni konzul Marion MarkVujovich proslavit ce uskoro proglasenje Dana Hrvatske i u tom gradu.
U organizaciji novog pocasnog konzula Republike Hrvatske u Seattleu, u saveznojdrzavi Washington, Franka Brozovicha, i grad Seattle ce uskoro obiljezitipovijesni datum proglasavanjem Hrvatskog dana.
I Kansas City obiljezio je ovaj datum proglasivsi Hrvatski dan. Iako u tom graduRepublika Hrvatska nema konzulat, proglasavanje Dana Hrvatske dogovorioveleposlanik Republike Hrvatske u SAD dr. Ivan Grdesic tijekom nedavne posjeteKansas City-u gdje se osim susreta sa Americkim Hrvatima, susreo i sa tamosnjomgradonacelnicom hrvatskog porijekla, Carol Marinovich.
Prijestolnica SAD, Washington, obiljezit ce desetu godisnjicu priznanjaRepublike Hrvatske na dan Dana drzavnosti, 25. lipnja.
Veleposlanik Republike Hrvatske u SAD dr. Ivan Grdesic rekao je: Veleposlanstvoi konzulati Republike Hrvatske u SAD, kao i Americki Hrvati tijekom cijele ovegodine obiljezavaju i obiljezavat ce desetu obljetnicu priznanja RepublikeHrvatske od strane Sjedinjenih Drzava. To je ne samo prigoda da se podsjeti navrijeme i uvjete u kojima je ostvareno međunarodno, pa tako i americkopriznanje Hrvatske, nego i da se ujedno americka javnost informira o hrvatskomnapretku u jacanju demokracije i priblizavanju Europskoj Uniji i NATOsaveznistvu.
Organiziravsi obiljezavanje ove obljetnice u americkim gradovima zeljeli smopovezati se s lokalnim vlastima i zajednicama Hrvata koji zive u tim gradovima,ali i ukazati na postignuca koja je Hrvatska ostvarila u posljednjih deset, aosobito u posljednje dvije godine, rekao je Grdesic.
Pritom, nastavio je Grdesic, zelja nam je da se sve uspjesniji odnosiSjedinjenih Drzava i Hrvatske i dalje nastave razvijati partnerski. To se odnosina podrucja suradnje koja su bila kljucna pred deset godina, u trenucimapriznanja Hrvatske i na podrucja koja su vazna sada, poput antiteroristickekoalicije, priblizavanja Hrvatske NATO Savezu i jacanja gospodarske suradnje. 

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Media contact: Alan Vojvodic, (202) 986 9476, press@croatiaemb.org

January 28th Full Wolf Moon 5:50 pm 
February 27th Full Snow Moon 4:16 am 
March 28th Full Worm Moon 1:24 pm 
April 26th Full Pink Moon 9:59 pm 
May 26th Full Flower Moon 6:51 am 
June 24th Full Strawberry Moon 4:42 pm 
July 24th Full Buck Moon 4:07 am 
August 22nd Full Sturgeon Moon 5:29 pm 
September 21st Full Harvest Moon 8:59 pm 
October 21st Full Hunter's Moon 2:30 am 
November 19th Full Beaver Moon 8:33 pm 
December 19th Full Cold Moon 2:10 pm 

Frequently used moon definitions and terms

New Moon -- when the Moon is not illuminated by direct sunlight.

Waxing Crescent -- occurs when the visible Moon is partly but less than one-half illuminated by direct sunlight while the illuminated part is increasing.

First Quarter -- when one-half of the Moon appears illuminated by direct sunlight while the illuminated part is increasing.

Waxing Gibbous -- when the Moon is more than one-half but not fully illuminated by direct sunlight while the illuminated part is increasing.

Full Moon -- when the visible Moon is fully illuminated by direct sunlight.

Waning Gibbous -- the Moon is less than fully but more than one-half illuminated by direct sunlight while the illuminated part is decreasing.

Last Quarter -- is when one-half of the Moon appears illuminated by direct sunlight while the illuminated part is decreasing.

Waning Crescent -- occurs when the Moon is partly but less than one-half illuminated by direct sunlight while the illuminated part is decreasing.

Best or brightest times to view the planets in 2002

MERCURY
As an evening star, it appears in the western sky, setting about an hour after the Sun. As a morning star, it appears in the eastern sky, rising about an hour before the Sun. There must be a clear, unobstructed horizon on these occasions. Mercury usually appears as a bright “star” with a yellowish or ochre hue. Evenings from January 1 to January 18; mornings from February 4 to March 20; evenings from April 21 to May 14; mornings from June 8 to July 6; evenings from August 5 to September 19; mornings from October 7 to October 19; evenings from December 12 to December 31. Mercury will be brightest and easiest to spot in the evening sky between April 21 and May 14, and brightest and easiest to spot in the morning sky between October 7 and October 19.

VENUS
Always brilliant and shining with a steady, silvery light. Evenings in the western sky at dusk from March 17 to October 20; mornings in the eastern sky at dawn from November 10 to December 31. Venus will attain its greatest brilliancy in the evening sky on September 25 and again in the morning sky on December 6.

MARS
hining like a “star” with a yellowish-orange hue, it can vary considerably in brightness. Evenings from January 1 to June 22; mornings from September 25 to December 31. This is an “off ” year for Mars, as it never becomes very bright or conspicuous. It will be at aphelion on September 20, when it will be 154.9 million miles from the Sun and an even more distant 244 million miles from the Earth. Despite this rather gloomy outlook, one should keep in mind that next year will bring us an exceptional apparition of Mars; in fact, in late August 2003, the planet will approach Earth closer than at any time since the beginning of the Christian Era.

JUPITER
Quite brilliant with a silver-white luster. Evenings from January 1 to June 29; mornings from August 9 to December 31. Brightest in 2002 during the first half of January. It is at opposition to the Sun on New Year’s Day. 

SATURN
Shines like a yellowish-white “star” of moderate brightness. The famous rings are only visible with a telescope. Evenings from January 1 to May 21; mornings from June 27 to December 16; evenings again from December 17 to December 31. Brightest in 2002 during December, as it is at opposition on December 17. The Moon “crosses paths” with Saturn in February, resulting in the Moon passing in front of Saturn (called an “occultation”). This “Saturn eclipse” is scheduled for February 20, favors all of North America, and occurs during the early evening hours. Also during 2002, the south face of the rings are tilted to near their maximum angle of 28ş, making them a very striking spectacle, even in a low-power telescope.

URANUS
Evenings from January 1 to January 29; mornings from March 1 to August 19; evenings again from August 20 to December 31.

NEPTUNE
Evenings from January 1 to January 12; mornings from February 13 to August 1; evenings again from August 2 to December 31.

PLUTO
Will not be visible in 2002.

Š 2002 Almanac Publishing Co. All rights reserved

Sight Might Not Be Seen Again for Century

By Deborah Zabarenko
Reuters

WASHINGTON (April 2) - The five so-called naked eye planets -- Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn -- will appear to clump together later this month in a sight that might not be seen again for a century.

But don't call this a planetary alignment. And even though this is fairly rare, there is nothing for earthlings to worry about, astronomer Geoff Chester of the U.S. Naval Observatory said on Tuesday. 

The grouping of the five will begin to be visible with unaided eyes around April 20, with the planets clustered closest by around May 4, Chester said by telephone. 

"It is an opportunity to see all five of the naked eye planets in the same part of the sky at the same time and that does not happen very often," Chester said. 

It could be 50 or 100 years before this happens again, he said. 

The display should be easy to see in most parts of the inhabited world, weather permitting, though those at extreme northern and southern latitudes may need binoculars or a small telescope, and Mercury could still be hard to spot, he said. 

A similar grouping of the same five planets, plus the moon, occurred on May 5, 2000, accompanied by dire predictions of extraordinary tides and other cataclysms. Earth survived. 

However, that cluster occurred on the opposite side of the Sun from Earth, and the Sun's light was so bright the planets could not be seen from Earth. 

This time, most humans should have a good view, Chester said. 

What they should be able to see will be Mercury, Venus, Mars and Saturn all grouped within the span of 10 degrees of the sky, or about the width of a fist held at arm's length. 

Jupiter will be a bit higher in the sky, about three fist-widths away, but still quite close. 

The cluster will start to dissipate around May 12, Chester said, when Mercury will dip closer to the horizon and become less visible. 

This grouping is only the planets people can see without help, and does not count as an alignment, according to Chester, though others have used that term. 

Chester considers a true alignment to be when all the planets are on the same side of the sun, and grouped within about 90 degrees -- nine fist-widths -- of each other, or closer. This occurs once in several hundred years. 

The closest known planetary alignment in the last two millennia occurred on April 11, 1128, before most planets were identified as such, including Earth, according to Chester. 

Copyright 2002 Reuters Limited.