Farmer’s almanacs in Introductory Astronomy I: 10² questions for inquiry and investigation

In this, the first installment in a series, I present a list of approximately 10² questions that can be addressed in an introductory astronomy course using ubiquitous farmer’s almanacs. Some of these questions take the reader into the world of astrology and perhaps other pseudosciences, but that is okay with me because at one time astrology was widely practiced as science and most astronomical terminology originated there. Some of these questions may seem deceptively trivial, and I challenge you to research those closely. Some questions are more about almanacs themselves than the information they contain. Yes, some of these questions invite rote use of search engines. Keep in mind these didn’t exist when I was a child; books in libraries were all I had. Also keep in mind that not all almanacs tabulate the exact same information so some of these questions may not make sense for certain almanacs.