2016Calendar of Astronomical Events

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