2016Calendar of Astronomical Events

    
2016Phases of the Moon
Alaska Standard Time
The following table gives the date and time of the Moon's phases for the year. The times listed are for Alaska Standard Time(Greenwich Mean Time - 9 hours).If Daylight Saving Time is in effect, add one hour to the times listed. 
   
      2016 Phases of the Moon   
      Alaska Standard Time
 New Moon  First Quarter  Full Moon  Last Quarter 
--- Jan  1  20:30   
 Jan  9  16:30    Jan 16  14:26    Jan 23  16:46    Jan 31  18:28   
 Feb  8  05:39    Feb 14  22:46    Feb 22  09:20    Mar  1  14:11   
 Mar  8  16:54 T  Mar 15  08:03    Mar 23  03:01 n  Mar 31  06:17   
 Apr  7  02:24    Apr 13  18:59    Apr 21  20:24    Apr 29  18:29   
 May  6  10:30    May 13  08:02    May 21  12:15    May 29  03:12   
 Jun  4  18:00    Jun 11  23:10    Jun 20  02:02    Jun 27  09:19   
 Jul  4  02:01    Jul 11  15:52    Jul 19  13:57    Jul 26  14:00   
 Aug  2  11:45    Aug 10  09:21    Aug 18  00:27    Aug 24  18:41   
 Sep  1  00:03 A  Sep  9  02:49    Sep 16  10:05 n  Sep 23  00:56   
 Sep 30  15:12    Oct  8  19:33    Oct 15  19:23    Oct 22  10:14   
 Oct 30  08:38    Nov  7  10:51    Nov 14  04:52    Nov 20  23:33   
 Nov 29  03:18    Dec  7  00:03    Dec 13  15:06    Dec 20  16:56   
 Dec 28  21:53   ---
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.
2016Calendar of Astronomical Events
Alaska Standard Time
The following table gives the date and time of the important astronomical events for the year. The times listed are for Alaska Standard Time(Greenwich Mean Time - 9 hours).If Daylight Saving Time is in effect, add one hour to the times listed. A key to astronomical terms appears below the calendar.
   
      2016Calendar of Astronomical Events   
   Alaska Standard Time  
 January - June   July - December 
Date     AKST   Even        (h:m)Jan 01  20:30  LAST QUARTER MOON     02  02:53  Moon at Apogee: 404279 km    02  14     Earth at Perihelion: 0.98330 AU    02  18:35  Spica 4.7°S of Moon    03  09:45  Mars 1.5°S of Moon    03  23     Quadrantid Meteor Shower    06  14:57  Venus 3.1°S of Moon    06  19:57  Saturn 3.3°S of Moon    07  02:34  Venus 6.3°N of Antares    08  09     Mercury at Perihelion     08  23     Venus 0.1°N of Saturn    09  16:30  NEW MOON     14  05     Mercury at Inferior Conjunction     14  06:48  Moon at Descending Node     14  17:10  Moon at Perigee: 369619 km    16  14:26  FIRST QUARTER MOON     19  17:16  Aldebaran 0.5°S of Moon    23  16:46  FULL MOON     25  20:10  Regulus 2.5°N of Moon    27  14:58  Moon at Ascending Node     27  16:14  Jupiter 1.4°N of Moon    30  00:10  Moon at Apogee: 404553 km    30  02:35  Spica 5.0°S of Moon    31  18:28  LAST QUARTER MOON     31  23:48  Mars 2.7°S of MoonFeb 03  10:05  Saturn 3.5°S of Moon    05  22:32  Venus 4.3°S of Moon    06  07:47  Mercury 3.8°S of Moon    06  16     Mercury at Greatest Elong: 25.6°W    08  05:39  NEW MOON     10  11:46  Moon at Descending Node     10  17:42  Moon at Perigee: 364358 km    12  18     Mercury 4.0°N of Venus    14  22:46  FIRST QUARTER MOON     15  22:41  Aldebaran 0.3°S of Moon    21  08     Mercury at Aphelion     22  03:48  Regulus 2.5°N of Moon    22  09:20  FULL MOON     23  18:58  Jupiter 1.7°N of Moon    23  21:10  Moon at Ascending Node     26  10:05  Spica 5.1°S of Moon    26  18:28  Moon at Apogee: 405383 km    28  06     Neptune in Conjunction with Sun     29  09:16  Mars 3.6°S of MoonMar 01  14:11  LAST QUARTER MOON     01  21:53  Saturn 3.6°S of Moon    07  01:54  Venus 3.5°S of Moon    08  01     Jupiter at Opposition     08  16:54  NEW MOON     08  16:57  Total Solar Eclipse; mag=1.045    08  21:31  Moon at Descending Node     09  22:02  Moon at Perigee: 359509 km    14  04:44  Aldebaran 0.3°S of Moon    15  08:03  FIRST QUARTER MOON     19  19:31  Vernal Equinox     20  05     Venus at Aphelion     20  10:05  Regulus 2.5°N of Moon    21  18:57  Jupiter 2.1°N of Moon    22  03:59  Moon at Ascending Node     23  02:47  Pen. Lunar Eclipse; mag=0.775    23  03:01  FULL MOON     23  11     Mercury at Superior Conjunction     24  16:50  Spica 5.1°S of Moon    25  05:16  Moon at Apogee: 406125 km    28  09:45  Mars 4.2°S of Moon    29  05:58  Saturn 3.5°S of Moon    31  06:17  LAST QUARTER MOON Apr 05  08     Mercury at Perihelion     05  08:27  Moon at Descending Node     05  23:30  Venus 0.7°S of Moon: Occn.    07  02:24  NEW MOON     07  08:36  Moon at Perigee: 357164 km    08  01:35  Mercury 5.2°N of Moon    09  12     Uranus in Conjunction with Sun     10  13:05  Aldebaran 0.4°S of Moon    13  18:59  FIRST QUARTER MOON     16  15:46  Regulus 2.5°N of Moon    17  19:42  Jupiter 2.2°N of Moon    18  05     Mercury at Greatest Elong: 19.9°E    18  09:04  Moon at Ascending Node     20  22:59  Spica 5.1°S of Moon    21  07:05  Moon at Apogee: 406352 km    21  20:24  FULL MOON     21  20     Lyrid Meteor Shower    24  19:13  Mars 4.9°S of Moon    25  10:28  Saturn 3.3°S of Moon    27  04:51  Mars 4.8°N of Antares    27  23:14  Mercury 3.0°S of Pleiades    29  18:29  LAST QUARTER MOON May 02  16:27  Moon at Descending Node     04  10     Eta-Aquarid Meteor Shower    05  19:14  Moon at Perigee: 357828 km    06  10:30  NEW MOON     07  23:21  Aldebaran 0.5°S of Moon    09  06     Mercury at Inferior Conjunction     13  08:02  FIRST QUARTER MOON     13  22:06  Regulus 2.3°N of Moon    15  00:30  Jupiter 2.0°N of Moon    15  11:39  Moon at Ascending Node     18  05:07  Spica 5.1°S of Moon    18  13:06  Moon at Apogee: 405934 km    21  12:15  FULL MOON     22  02     Mars at Opposition     22  12:59  Saturn 3.2°S of Moon    29  03:12  LAST QUARTER MOON     29  19:45  Moon at Descending Node Jun 02  21     Saturn at Opposition     03  00:47  Mercury 0.7°N of Moon: Occn.    03  01:55  Moon at Perigee: 361142 km    04  18:00  NEW MOON     05  00     Mercury at Greatest Elong: 24.2°W    06  13     Venus at Superior Conjunction     10  05:47  Regulus 2.0°N of Moon    11  10:35  Jupiter 1.5°N of Moon    11  13:20  Moon at Ascending Node     11  23:10  FIRST QUARTER MOON     13  01:06  Mercury 6.4°S of Pleiades    14  11:47  Spica 5.3°S of Moon    15  03:00  Moon at Apogee: 405022 km    18  15:40  Saturn 3.3°S of Moon    18  18:39  Mercury 3.7°N of Aldebaran    20  02:02  FULL MOON     20  13:35  Summer Solstice     25  20:28  Moon at Descending Node     27  09:19  LAST QUARTER MOON     30  21:45  Moon at Perigee: 365983 km
Date     AKST   Even        (h:m)Jul 01  18:58  Aldebaran 0.4°S of Moon    02  07     Mercury at Perihelion     04  02:01  NEW MOON     04  07     Earth at Aphelion: 1.01675 AU    06  18     Mercury at Superior Conjunction     07  14:33  Regulus 1.8°N of Moon    08  16:41  Moon at Ascending Node     09  01:08  Jupiter 0.9°N of Moon: Occn.    10  14     Venus at Perihelion     11  15:52  FIRST QUARTER MOON     11  19:13  Spica 5.6°S of Moon    12  20:24  Moon at Apogee: 404272 km    15  20:11  Saturn 3.4°S of Moon    16  14     Mercury 0.5°N of Venus    19  13:57  FULL MOON     22  22:49  Moon at Descending Node     26  14:00  LAST QUARTER MOON     27  02:25  Moon at Perigee: 369659 km    27  12     Delta-Aquarid Meteor Shower    29  01:53  Aldebaran 0.3°S of Moon    30  06:55  Mercury 0.3°N of RegulusAug 02  11:45  NEW MOON     03  21:19  Venus 2.9°N of Moon    04  13:12  Mercury 0.6°N of Moon: Occn.    04  22:48  Moon at Ascending Node     05  02:57  Venus 1.0°N of Regulus    05  18:28  Jupiter 0.2°N of Moon: Occn.    08  03:08  Spica 5.8°S of Moon    09  15:05  Moon at Apogee: 404266 km    10  09:21  FIRST QUARTER MOON     12  03:10  Saturn 3.7°S of Moon    12  03     Perseid Meteor Shower    15  07     Mercury at Aphelion     16  12     Mercury at Greatest Elong: 27.4°E    18  00:27  FULL MOON     19  05:14  Moon at Descending Node     19  21     Mercury 3.8°S of Jupiter    21  16:20  Moon at Perigee: 367047 km    23  20:09  Mars 1.8°N of Antares    24  16     Mars 4.3°S of Saturn    24  18:41  LAST QUARTER MOON     25  07:21  Aldebaran 0.2°S of Moon    27  13     Venus 0.1°N of Jupiter    28  11     Mercury 5.0°S of VenusSep 01  00:03  NEW MOON     01  00:07  Annular Solar Eclipse; mag=0.974    01  06:27  Moon at Ascending Node     02  06     Neptune at Opposition     03  01:33  Venus 1.1°S of Moon: Occn.    04  10:56  Spica 5.8°S of Moon    04  11:05  Saturn 5.9°N of Antares    06  09:44  Moon at Apogee: 405059 km    08  12:23  Saturn 3.8°S of Moon    09  02:49  FIRST QUARTER MOON     12  15     Mercury at Inferior Conjunction     15  14:55  Moon at Descending Node     16  09:54  Pen. Lunar Eclipse; mag=0.908    16  10:05  FULL MOON     18  06:15  Venus 2.2°N of Spica    18  08:00  Moon at Perigee: 361894 km    21  13:13  Aldebaran 0.2°S of Moon    22  05:21  Autumnal Equinox     23  00:56  LAST QUARTER MOON     25  21     Jupiter in Conjunction with Sun     27  13:32  Regulus 1.7°N of Moon    28  06     Mercury at Perihelion     28  10     Mercury at Greatest Elong: 17.9°W    28  13:06  Moon at Ascending Node     29  01:42  Mercury 0.7°N of Moon: Occn.    30  15:12  NEW MOON Oct 03  08:30  Venus 5.0°S of Moon    04  02:02  Moon at Apogee: 406100 km    05  23:04  Saturn 3.8°S of Moon    08  19:33  FIRST QUARTER MOON     11  01     Mercury 0.8°N of Jupiter    13  00:43  Moon at Descending Node     15  01     Uranus at Opposition     15  19:23  FULL MOON     16  14:36  Moon at Perigee: 357860 km    18  21:18  Aldebaran 0.3°S of Moon    20  20     Orionid Meteor Shower    22  10:14  LAST QUARTER MOON     24  19:01  Regulus 1.6°N of Moon    25  16:44  Moon at Ascending Node     26  01:56  Venus 3.0°N of Antares    27  07     Mercury at Superior Conjunction     28  00:33  Jupiter 1.4°S of Moon    29  04     Mars at Perihelion:  1.38124 AU    29  17     Venus 3.0°S of Saturn    30  08:38  NEW MOON     31  10:29  Moon at Apogee: 406660 kmNov 02  10:38  Saturn 3.7°S of Moon    04  20     S Taurid Meteor Shower    06  03:07  Mars 5.3°S of Moon    07  10:51  FIRST QUARTER MOON     09  06:57  Moon at Descending Node     11  19     N Taurid Meteor Shower    14  02:23  Moon at Perigee: 356512 km    14  04:52  FULL MOON     15  07:50  Aldebaran 0.4°S of Moon    17  02     Leonid Meteor Shower    19  08:51  Beehive 4.3°N of Moon    20  23:33  LAST QUARTER MOON     21  01:08  Regulus 1.3°N of Moon    21  17:48  Moon at Ascending Node     23  10     Mercury 3.4°S of Saturn    24  16:47  Jupiter 1.9°S of Moon    27  11:08  Moon at Apogee: 406556 km    29  03:18  NEW MOON Dec 03  03:34  Venus 5.8°S of Moon    05  01:39  Mars 2.9°S of Moon    06  08:35  Moon at Descending Node     07  00:03  FIRST QUARTER MOON     10  02     Saturn in Conjunction with Sun     10  19     Mercury at Greatest Elong: 20.8°E    12  14:27  Moon at Perigee: 358463 km    12  19:14  Aldebaran 0.5°S of Moon    13  15     Geminid Meteor Shower    13  15:06  FULL MOON     16  18:17  Beehive 4.1°N of Moon    18  09:13  Regulus 1.0°N of Moon    18  19:46  Moon at Ascending Node     20  16:56  LAST QUARTER MOON     21  01:45  Winter Solstice     21  23     Ursid Meteor Shower    22  07:37  Jupiter 2.4°S of Moon    24  20:55  Moon at Apogee: 405870 km    25  06     Mercury at Perihelion     28  10     Mercury at Inferior Conjunction     28  21:53  NEW 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
The Americas
Below are links to calendars of astronomical events from 2011 to 2020 for seven time zones in the Americas. 
Choose a time zone and click on a year to get a calendar of astronomical events for that year.
   Calendars of Astronomical Events - The Americas
   AST    2011     2012     2013     2014     2015     2016     2017     2018     2019     2020 
   EST    2011     2012     2013     2014     2015     2016     2017     2018     2019     2020 
   CST    2011     2012     2013     2014     2015     2016     2017     2018     2019     2020 
   MST    2011     2012     2013     2014     2015     2016     2017     2018     2019     2020 
   PST    2011     2012     2013     2014     2015     2016     2017     2018     2019     2020 
   AKST    2011     2012     2013     2014     2015     2016     2017     2018     2019     2020 
   HST    2011     2012     2013     2014     2015     2016     2017     2018     2019     2020 
        Time Zones Abbreviations
        • AST = Atlantic Standard Time (= GMT - 4 hours)
        • EST = Eastern Standard Time (= GMT - 5 hours)
        • CST = Central Standard Time (= GMT - 6 hours)
        • MST = Mountain Standard Time (= GMT - 7 hours)
        • PST = Pacific Standard Time (= GMT - 8 hours)
        • AKST = Alaskan Standard Time (= GMT - 9 hours)
        • HST = Hawaiian Standard Time (= GMT - 10 hours)
           (where GMT = Greenwich Mean Time)
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
Return to: Planetary Ephemeris Data