Leap 5th Lunar Month in Chinese Calendar 2001


US Pacific Standard Time Zone

There is a leap lunar month after the 4th month in the Chinese Civil Calendar year 2001. The Chinese Civil Calendar is the official calendar announced by the China, Taiwan and Hong Kong governments using the time zone of east longitude 120 degrees. However, the leap month is the 5th lunar month in the Chinese Civil Calendar and Chinese Astronomical Calendar using the time zone of west longitude 120 degrees, which is US Pacific Standard Time (PST). The following explanation can help you to know why. There are three basic rules for the Chinese Calendar.

Please read the Theory of the Chinese Calendar for detail about Solar Center Point.

The following is the listing of dates and times about new moon days and the Solar Center points. A lunar month not containing a Center Point is a Leap month.

2001 US PST Civil Calendar

Month Name New Moon Date/Time Zodiac Date/Time Zodiac Month
3rd Lunar Month 03-24  17:21    
    04-04  09:24 Clear and Bright (Dragon Month)
    04-19  16:36 Grain Rains (Taurus) - Center Point
4th Lunar Month 04-23  07:26    
    05-05  02:45 Start of Summer (Snake month)
    05-20  15:44 Grain Fills (Gemini) - Center Point
5th Lunar Month 05-22  18:46  
    06-05  06:54 Grain in Ear (Horse Month)
    06-20  23:58 Summer Solstice (Cancer) - Center Point
Leap 5th Month 06-21  03:58   No Center point 
    07-06  17:07 Slight Heat (Sheep Month)
6th Lunar Month 07-20  11:44    
    07-22  10:26 Great Heat (Leo) - Center Point
    08-07  02:52 Start of Autumn (Monkey Month)
7th Lunar Month 08-18  18:55  

The first day of the leap 5th month is on 6-21-01 and the last day of this month is on 07-19-01. There is no Center Point in this month. Therefore this month is a Leap Month. The name of the leap month uses the previous month name.

2001 US PST Astronomical Calendar

Month Name New Moon Date/Time Zodiac Date/Time Zodiac Month
4th Lunar Month 04-23  07:26    
    05-05  02:45 Start of Summer (Snake month)
    05-20  15:44 Grain Fills (Gemini) - Center Point
5th Lunar Month 05-22  18:46    
    06-05  06:54/td> Grain in Ear (Horse Month)
    06-20  23:58 Summer Solstice (Cancer) - Center Point
Leap 5th Month 06-21  03:58   No Center point
    07-06  17:07 Slight Heat (Sheep Month)
6th Lunar Month 07-20  11:44    
    07-22  10:26 Great Heat (Leo) - Center Point
    08-07  02:52 Start of Autumn (Monkey Month)
7th Lunar Month 08-18  18:55    

In the theory of the Astronomical Calendar, the 5th lunar month, from 18:46 of 05-22 to 03:57 of  06-21, includes the Center Point of Summer Solstice. Therefore it's not a leap month.

The leap 5th month from 03:58 of 06-21 to 11:44 of 07-20 is a leap month because it contains no Center Point.

The Astronomical Calendar compares dates and times of the new moon day and the Center Point. The Civil Calendar compares only the dates of the new moon day and the Center Point.


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