Half-month
Calendar subdivision in astronomy
The half-month is a calendar subdivision used in astronomy. Each calendar month is separated into two parts:
- days 1 to 15
- day 16 until the end of the month.
Newly identified small Solar System bodies, such as comets and asteroids, are given systematic designations that contain the half-month encoded as a letter of the English alphabet. For example, an object discovered in the second half of January would be identified with the letter B; if found in the first half of February, the letter would be C. The letter I is not used, to prevent confusion with the number 1. Instead, the letters proceed directly from H (April 16-30) to J (May 1-15). The letter appears in the provisional designation, then when the object is confirmed the letter is incorporated into the comet designation (for comets) or minor planet designation (for asteroids and other minor planets).
|
|
|
Sources and credits
This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article “Half-month”, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.
Fathomly is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Wikimedia Foundation. Spotted a problem? Tell us.
