2012Calendar of Astronomical Events

    
2012Phases of the Moon
Central European Time
The following table gives the date and time of the Moon's phases for the year. The times listed are for Central European Time(Greenwich Mean Time + 1 hour).If Daylight Saving Time is in effect, add one hour to the times listed. 
   
      2012 Phases of the Moon   
      Central European Time
 New Moon  First Quarter  Full Moon  Last Quarter 
- Jan  1  07:15    Jan  9  08:30    Jan 16  10:08   
 Jan 23  08:39    Jan 31  05:10    Feb  7  22:54    Feb 14  18:04   
 Feb 21  23:35    Mar  1  02:22    Mar  8  10:40    Mar 15  02:25   
 Mar 22  15:37    Mar 30  20:41    Apr  6  20:19    Apr 13  11:50   
 Apr 21  08:18    Apr 29  10:58    May  6  04:35    May 12  22:47   
 May 21  00:47 A  May 28  21:16    Jun  4  12:12 p  Jun 11  11:41   
 Jun 19  16:02    Jun 27  04:30    Jul  3  19:52    Jul 11  02:48   
 Jul 19  05:24    Jul 26  09:56    Aug  2  04:27    Aug  9  19:55   
 Aug 17  16:54    Aug 24  14:54    Aug 31  14:58    Sep  8  14:15   
 Sep 16  03:11    Sep 22  20:41    Sep 30  04:19    Oct  8  08:33   
 Oct 15  13:02    Oct 22  04:32    Oct 29  20:50    Nov  7  01:36   
 Nov 13  23:08 T  Nov 20  15:31    Nov 28  15:46 n  Dec  6  16:32   
 Dec 13  09:42    Dec 20  06:19    Dec 28  11:21   -
An eclipse of the Sun can only occur at New Moon (see: Solar Eclipses for Beginners), while an eclipse of the Moon can only occur at Full Moon (see: Lunar Eclipses for Beginners). In any calendar year there are a minimum of two solar and two lunar eclipses.
If an eclipse of the Sun or Moon takes place on a given date, it is noted by a character next to the date in the table above. Solar eclipses are indicated as: T=Total, A=Annular, H=Hybrid and P=Partial.Lunar eclipses are indicated as: t=Total, p=Partial, and n=Penumbral. 
Phases of the Moon Photo Gallery is an image collection showing the Moon's phases over a complete synodic month.
2012Calendar of Astronomical Events
Central European Time
The following table gives the date and time of the important astronomical events for the year. The times listed are for Central European Time(Greenwich Mean Time + 1 hour).If Daylight Saving Time is in effect, add one hour to the times listed. A key to astronomical terms appears below the calendar.
   
      2012Calendar of Astronomical Events   
   Central European Time  
 January - June   July - December 
Date     CET   Event        (h:m)Jan 01  07:15  FIRST QUARTER MOON     02  21:19  Moon at Apogee: 404580 km    03  03:46  Jupiter 5.0°S of Moon    04  08     Quadrantid Meteor Shower    05  02     Earth at Perihelion: 0.98328 AU    05  10:17  Pleiades 2.8°N of Moon    06  08:43  Aldebaran 5.8°S of Moon    06  15:30  Moon at Descending Node     09  08:30  FULL MOON     12  14:04  Regulus 5.9°N of Moon    16  08:21  Spica 2.0°N of Moon    16  10:08  LAST QUARTER MOON     16  20:07  Saturn 6.4°N of Moon    17  22:28  Moon at Perigee: 369883 km    18  07     Mercury at Aphelion     19  11:59  Antares 4.2°S of Moon    19  19:26  Moon at Ascending Node     23  08:39  NEW MOON     30  15:38  Jupiter 4.5°S of Moon    30  18:42  Moon at Apogee: 404325 km    31  05:10  FIRST QUARTER MOON Feb 01  18:42  Pleiades 3.0°N of Moon    02  17:22  Aldebaran 5.7°S of Moon    02  21:02  Moon at Descending Node     07  10     Mercury at Superior Conjunction     07  22:54  FULL MOON     08  21:43  Regulus 5.8°N of Moon    11  19:32  Moon at Perigee: 367920 km    12  13:47  Spica 1.8°N of Moon    13  02:08  Saturn 6.2°N of Moon    14  18:04  LAST QUARTER MOON     15  17:35  Antares 4.4°S of Moon    15  21:16  Moon at Ascending Node     15  22     Mars at Aphelion:  1.66598 AU    19  21     Neptune in Conjunction with Sun     21  23:35  NEW MOON     25  22:44  Venus 3.3°S of Moon    27  07:16  Jupiter 3.8°S of Moon    27  15:01  Moon at Apogee: 404864 km    29  02:46  Pleiades 3.3°N of Moon    29  23:37  Moon at Descending Node Mar 01  01:45  Aldebaran 5.4°S of Moon    01  02:22  FIRST QUARTER MOON     02  06     Mercury at Perihelion     03  20     Mars at Opposition     05  10     Mercury at Greatest Elong: 18.2°E    07  07:36  Regulus 5.8°N of Moon    08  10:40  FULL MOON     10  11:02  Moon at Perigee: 362401 km    10  21:20  Spica 1.5°N of Moon    11  08:00  Saturn 6.2°N of Moon    13  21:41  Moon at Ascending Node     13  23     Venus 3.0°N of Jupiter    13  23:10  Antares 4.7°S of Moon    15  02:25  LAST QUARTER MOON     20  06:15  Vernal Equinox     21  02     Venus at Perihelion     21  20     Mercury at Inferior Conjunction     22  15:37  NEW MOON     24  19     Uranus in Conjunction with Sun     26  00:57  Jupiter 3.1°S of Moon    26  07:04  Moon at Apogee: 405780 km    26  19:21  Venus 1.8°N of Moon    27  08     Venus at Greatest Elong: 46.0°E    27  09:56  Pleiades 3.5°N of Moon    28  01:19  Moon at Descending Node     28  09:07  Aldebaran 5.2°S of Moon    30  20:41  FIRST QUARTER MOON Apr 03  14:18  Venus 0.4°S of Pleiades    03  18:10  Regulus 5.9°N of Moon    06  20:19  FULL MOON     07  07:24  Spica 1.5°N of Moon    07  15:07  Saturn 6.3°N of Moon    07  17:59  Moon at Perigee: 358314 km    10  01:47  Moon at Ascending Node     10  06:54  Antares 4.9°S of Moon    13  11:50  LAST QUARTER MOON     15  19     Saturn at Opposition     16  03:18  Mars 0.7°N of Regulus    18  18     Mercury at Greatest Elong: 27.5°W    21  08:18  NEW MOON     22  06     Lyrid Meteor Shower    22  14:49  Moon at Apogee: 406422 km    23  16:15  Pleiades 3.6°N of Moon    24  04:43  Moon at Descending Node     24  15:27  Aldebaran 5.0°S of Moon    25  03:21  Venus 5.7°N of Moon    29  10:58  FIRST QUARTER MOON May 01  03:31  Regulus 6.1°N of Moon    04  18:26  Spica 1.5°N of Moon    04  19     Eta-Aquarid Meteor Shower    04  23:04  Saturn 6.4°N of Moon    06  04:33  Moon at Perigee: 356954 km    06  04:35  FULL MOON     07  10:43  Moon at Ascending Node     07  16:57  Antares 5.0°S of Moon    12  22:47  LAST QUARTER MOON     13  14     Jupiter in Conjunction with Sun     19  17:13  Moon at Apogee: 406451 km    21  00:47  NEW MOON     21  00:53  Annular Solar Eclipse; mag=0.944    21  10:20  Moon at Descending Node     22  21:52  Venus 4.7°N of Moon    27  12     Mercury at Superior Conjunction     28  10:43  Regulus 6.2°N of Moon    28  21:16  FIRST QUARTER MOON     29  06     Mercury at Perihelion Jun 01  04:24  Spica 1.5°N of Moon    01  06:45  Saturn 6.5°N of Moon    03  14:19  Moon at Perigee: 358483 km    03  21:38  Moon at Ascending Node     04  03:51  Antares 5.0°S of Moon    04  12:03  Partial Lunar Eclipse; mag=0.370    04  12:12  FULL MOON     06  02     Venus at Inferior Conjunction     11  10:30  Jupiter 4.7°S of Pleiades    11  11:41  LAST QUARTER MOON     16  02:24  Moon at Apogee: 405791 km    17  04:34  Pleiades 3.6°N of Moon    17  09:23  Jupiter 1.1°S of Moon: Occn.    17  16:43  Moon at Descending Node     18  01:47  Venus 2.1°S of Moon    19  16:02  NEW MOON     20  18:50  Mercury 4.9°S of Pollux    21  00:08  Summer Solstice     21  11:33  Venus 2.2°N of Aldebaran    24  16:18  Regulus 6.1°N of Moon    26  16:02  Mars 5.8°N of Moon    27  04:30  FIRST QUARTER MOON     28  12:04  Spica 1.4°N of Moon    28  13:40  Saturn 6.3°N of Moon
Date     CET   Event        (h:m)Jul 01  03     Mercury at Greatest Elong: 25.7°E    01  06:45  Moon at Ascending Node     01  09     Venus 4.8°S of Jupiter    01  13:42  Antares 5.0°S of Moon    01  19:01  Moon at Perigee: 362363 km    02  15:57  Mercury 1.6°S of Beehive    03  19:52  FULL MOON     05  05     Earth at Aphelion: 1.01668 AU    09  05:13  Venus 0.9°N of Aldebaran    11  02:48  LAST QUARTER MOON     11  11     Venus at Aphelion     12  05     Mercury at Aphelion     13  17:47  Moon at Apogee: 404783 km    14  11:34  Pleiades 3.7°N of Moon    14  21:55  Moon at Descending Node     15  04:02  Jupiter 0.5°S of Moon: Occn.    15  10:40  Aldebaran 4.9°S of Moon    15  16:29  Venus 3.8°S of Moon    19  05:24  NEW MOON     21  21:52  Regulus 5.9°N of Moon    24  23:07  Mars 4.2°N of Moon    25  17:43  Spica 1.2°N of Moon    25  20:29  Saturn 6.0°N of Moon    26  09:56  FIRST QUARTER MOON     27  21     Delta-Aquarid Meteor Shower    28  11:34  Moon at Ascending Node     28  21     Mercury at Inferior Conjunction     28  21:21  Antares 5.2°S of Moon    29  09:30  Moon at Perigee: 367318 km    29  12:45  Jupiter 4.6°N of AldebaranAug 02  04:27  FULL MOON     02  14:36  Saturn 4.0°N of Spica    09  19:55  LAST QUARTER MOON     10  11:52  Moon at Apogee: 404125 km    10  19:12  Pleiades 3.9°N of Moon    11  01:04  Moon at Descending Node     11  18:25  Aldebaran 4.8°S of Moon    11  21:25  Jupiter 0.1°N of Moon: Occn.    12  13     Perseid Meteor Shower    13  20:41  Venus 0.6°S of Moon: Occn.    13  23:45  Mars 1.6°N of Spica    15  11     Venus at Greatest Elong: 45.8°W    15  19     Mars 2.7°S of Saturn    16  06:06  Mercury 3.6°N of Moon    16  13     Mercury at Greatest Elong: 18.7°W    17  16:55  NEW MOON     18  16:33  Mercury 2.1°S of Beehive    21  23:04  Spica 1.0°N of Moon    22  04:43  Saturn 5.5°N of Moon    22  08:50  Mars 2.3°N of Moon    23  20:39  Moon at Perigee: 369731 km    24  12     Neptune at Opposition     24  12:38  Moon at Ascending Node     24  14:54  FIRST QUARTER MOON     25  03:02  Antares 5.4°S of Moon    25  05     Mercury at Perihelion     31  14:58  FULL MOON Sep 07  03:08  Moon at Descending Node     07  07:00  Moon at Apogee: 404296 km    08  02:23  Aldebaran 4.5°S of Moon    08  11:59  Jupiter 0.6°N of Moon: Occn.    08  14:15  LAST QUARTER MOON     10  14     Mercury at Superior Conjunction     12  18:09  Venus 3.7°N of Moon    13  09:52  Venus 2.6°S of Beehive    14  13:51  Regulus 5.9°N of Moon    16  03:11  NEW MOON     18  06:05  Spica 0.8°N of Moon    18  15:45  Saturn 5.0°N of Moon    19  03:52  Moon at Perigee: 365749 km    19  21:36  Mars 0.2°N of Moon: Occn.    20  13:54  Moon at Ascending Node     21  08:30  Antares 5.6°S of Moon    22  15:49  Autumnal Equinox     22  20:41  FIRST QUARTER MOON     29  08     Uranus at Opposition     30  04:19  FULL MOON Oct 01  11:56  Mercury 1.5°N of Spica    03  04:35  Venus 0.1°S of Regulus    04  06:15  Moon at Descending Node     05  01:43  Moon at Apogee: 405162 km    05  09     Mercury 3.2°S of Saturn    05  09:58  Aldebaran 4.3°S of Moon    05  21:50  Jupiter 0.9°N of Moon: Occn.    08  08:33  LAST QUARTER MOON     11  23:52  Regulus 6.0°N of Moon    12  20:10  Venus 6.3°N of Moon    15  13:02  NEW MOON     17  02:02  Moon at Perigee: 360673 km    17  02:43  Mercury 1.3°S of Moon    17  19:27  Moon at Ascending Node     18  14:06  Mars 2.0°S of Moon    18  15:50  Antares 5.8°S of Moon    20  21:07  Mars 3.5°N of Antares    21  05     Orionid Meteor Shower    22  04:32  FIRST QUARTER MOON     25  09     Saturn in Conjunction with Sun     26  23     Mercury at Greatest Elong: 24.1°E    29  20:50  FULL MOON     31  11:36  Moon at Descending Node     31  19     Venus at Perihelion Nov 01  16:30  Moon at Apogee: 406050 km    01  16:49  Aldebaran 4.2°S of Moon    02  01:58  Jupiter 0.9°N of Moon: Occn.    05  06     S Taurid Meteor Shower    06  15:32  Mercury 3.0°N of Antares    07  01:36  LAST QUARTER MOON     08  09:13  Regulus 6.1°N of Moon    11  18:52  Venus 5.3°N of Moon    12  02:42  Spica 0.8°N of Moon    12  05     N Taurid Meteor Shower    13  23:08  NEW MOON     13  23:12  Total Solar Eclipse; mag=1.050    14  05:37  Moon at Ascending Node     14  11:21  Moon at Perigee: 357361 km    16  10:40  Mars 4.0°S of Moon    17  02:22  Venus 3.6°N of Spica    17  11     Leonid Meteor Shower    17  17     Mercury at Inferior Conjunction     20  15:31  FIRST QUARTER MOON     21  04     Mercury at Perihelion     27  06     Venus 0.5°S of Saturn    27  18:05  Moon at Descending Node     28  15:33  Pen. Lunar Eclipse; mag=0.915    28  15:46  FULL MOON     28  20:35  Moon at Apogee: 406366 km    28  23:06  Aldebaran 4.2°S of Moon    29  01:46  Jupiter 0.6°N of Moon: Occn.Dec 03  02     Jupiter at Opposition     05  00     Mercury at Greatest Elong: 20.6°W    05  16:35  Regulus 6.1°N of Moon    06  16:32  LAST QUARTER MOON     09  10     Mercury 6.3°S of Venus    09  13:04  Spica 0.8°N of Moon    10  13:46  Saturn 4.0°N of Moon    11  14:48  Venus 1.6°N of Moon    11  16:57  Moon at Ascending Node     12  01:44  Mercury 1.1°N of Moon: Occn.    13  00:14  Moon at Perigee: 357074 km    13  06:18  Jupiter 4.7°N of Aldebaran    13  09:42  NEW MOON     14  00     Geminid Meteor Shower    18  10:57  Mercury 5.2°N of Antares    20  06:19  FIRST QUARTER MOON     21  12:12  Winter Solstice     22  09     Ursid Meteor Shower    24  04:19  Venus 5.5°N of Antares    24  23:27  Moon at Descending Node     25  22:19  Moon at Apogee: 406101 km    26  01:02  Jupiter 0.4°N of Moon: Occn.    26  05:23  Aldebaran 4.2°S of Moon    28  11:21  FULL MOON     

 Terms Used in Astronomical Events Calendar 
  • Perihelion - instant when a planet is closest to the Sun
  • Aphelion - instant when a planet is furthest from the Sun
  • Perigee - instant when the Moon is closest to Earth
  • Apogee - instant when the Moon is furthest from Earth
  • Inferior Conjunction - instant when a planet (Mercury or Venus) passes between Earth and the Sun
  • Superior Conjunction - instant when a planet (Mercury or Venus) passes on the opposite side of the Sun from Earth 
  • Greatest Elongation - the maximum angular separation between the Sun and the planet (Mercury or Venus) as seen from Earth 
     - during eastern elongation (E), the planet appears as an evening star; 
     - during western elongation (W), the planet appears as a morning star
  • Opposition - instant when a planet appears opposite the Sun as seen from Earth
  • Conjunction - instant when a planet appears closest the Sun as seen from Earth
  • Occultation - the Moon occults or eclipses a star or planet
  • Ascending Node - point where the Moon crosses from the southern to northern portion of its orbit
  • Descending Node - point where the Moon crosses from the northern to the southern portion of its orbit

  • Aldebaran - bright star in the constellation Taurus
  • Pollux - bright star in the constellation Gemini
  • Regulus - bright star in the constellation Leo
  • Spica - bright star in the constellation Virgo
  • Antares - bright star in the constellation Scorpius
  • Pleiades - bright star cluster in the constellation Taurus
  • Beehive - bright star cluster in the constellation Cancer
Calendars of Astronomical Events: 2011 to 2020
Europe, Africa, and the Middle East
Below are links to calendars of astronomical events from 2011 to 2020 for five time zones 
in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. 
Choose a time zone and click on a year to get a calendar of astronomical events for that year.
   Calendar of Astronomical Events - Europe, Africa, & Middle East
   GMT    2011     2012     2013     2014     2015     2016     2017     2018     2019     2020 
   CET    2011     2012     2013     2014     2015     2016     2017     2018     2019     2020 
   EET    2011     2012     2013     2014     2015     2016     2017     2018     2019     2020 
   MSK    2011     2012     2013     2014     2015     2016     2017     2018     2019     2020 
   GST    2011     2012     2013     2014     2015     2016     2017     2018     2019     2020 
        Time Zones Abbreviations
        • GMT = Greenwich Mean Time 
        • CET = Central European Time (= GMT + 1 hour)
        • EET = Eastern European Time (= GMT + 2 hours)
        • MSK = Moscow Time (= GMT + 3 hours)
        • GST = Gulf Standard Time (= GMT + 4 hours)
A time zone may have a different name in different countries. Note the difference in hours between a given time zone and Greenwich Mean Time to help in identification.
For other years and other time zones, visit: Calendars of Astronomical Events.
 
Accuracy of the Astronomical Events Calendars
The goal of the Astronomical Events Calendars is to present a wide range of solar system phenomena with reasonable accuracy. In general, events listed to the nearest hour are accurate to ± 30 minutes.Events listed with a precision in hours and minutes (i.e., hh:mm) are typically accurate to ± 5 minutes or less.  
The following table gives a more detailed breakdown of the accuracy of times for various astronomical events.
Accuracy of the Astronomical Events Calendars
 Solstice/Equinox (Earth)  ± 0.5 minute 
 Aphelion/Perihelion (Earth)  ± 30 minutes;  ± 0.00001 AU 
 Solar and Lunar Eclipses   ± 0.5 minute 
 Phases of the Moon  ± 0.5 minute 
 Moon at Nodes  ± 2 minutes 
 Apogee/Perigee of Moon  ± 5 minutes; ± 5 kilometers 
 Conjunctions of Moon with Star or Planet  ± 10 minutes 
 Conjunctions of Planet with Planet  ± 3 hours 
 Inferior/Superior Conjunctions (Mercury & Venus)  ± 30 minutes 
 Greatest Elongation (Mercury & Venus)  ± 30 minutes 
 Opposition/Conjunction (Outer Planets)  ± 3 hours 
 Aphelion/Perihelion of Planets  ± 30 minutes 

Acknowledgements
All calculations are by Fred Espenak and he assumes full responsibility for their accuracy. Algorithms used in predicting many of the astronomical events are based on Astronomical Algorithms by Jean Meeus (Willmann-Bell Inc. Richmond 1998). 
Permission is freely granted to reproduce this data when accompanied by the acknowledgment: 

Return to: Calendars of Astronomical Events
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