2018Calendar of Astronomical Events

    
2018Phases 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. 
   
      2018 Phases of the Moon   
      Central European Time
 New Moon  First Quarter  Full Moon  Last Quarter 
-- Jan  2  03:24    Jan  8  23:25   
 Jan 17  03:17    Jan 24  23:20    Jan 31  14:27 t  Feb  7  16:54   
 Feb 15  22:05 P  Feb 23  09:09    Mar  2  01:51    Mar  9  12:20   
 Mar 17  14:12    Mar 24  16:35    Mar 31  13:37    Apr  8  08:18   
 Apr 16  02:57    Apr 22  22:46    Apr 30  01:58    May  8  03:09   
 May 15  12:48    May 22  04:49    May 29  15:20    Jun  6  19:32   
 Jun 13  20:43    Jun 20  11:51    Jun 28  05:53    Jul  6  08:51   
 Jul 13  03:48 P  Jul 19  20:52    Jul 27  21:20 t  Aug  4  19:18   
 Aug 11  10:58 P  Aug 18  08:49    Aug 26  12:56    Sep  3  03:37   
 Sep  9  19:01    Sep 17  00:15    Sep 25  03:53    Oct  2  10:45   
 Oct  9  04:47    Oct 16  19:02    Oct 24  17:45    Oct 31  17:40   
 Nov  7  17:02    Nov 15  15:54    Nov 23  06:39    Nov 30  01:19   
 Dec  7  08:20    Dec 15  12:49    Dec 22  18:49    Dec 29  10:34   
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.
2018Calendar 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.
   
      2018Calendar of Astronomical Events   
   Central European Time  
 January - June   July - December 
Date     CET   Event        (h:m)Jan 01  21     Mercury at Greatest Elong: 22.7°W    01  22:54  Moon at Perigee: 356566 km    02  03:24  FULL MOON     03  07     Earth at Perihelion: 0.98329 AU    03  20:50  Beehive 2.3°N of Moon    03  21     Quadrantid Meteor Shower    04  08:48  Moon at Ascending Node     05  08:24  Regulus 0.9°S of Moon    07  02     Mars 0.2°S of Jupiter    08  23:25  LAST QUARTER MOON     09  07     Venus at Superior Conjunction     11  06:59  Jupiter 4.3°S of Moon    11  11:03  Mars 4.6°S of Moon    13  09     Mercury 0.7°S of Saturn    15  03:10  Moon at Apogee: 406461 km    15  03:13  Saturn 2.6°S of Moon    15  08:24  Mercury 3.4°S of Moon    17  03:17  NEW MOON     18  15:28  Moon at Descending Node     23  18     Venus at Aphelion     24  23:20  FIRST QUARTER MOON     25  12     Mercury at Aphelion     27  11:09  Aldebaran 0.7°S of Moon    30  10:54  Moon at Perigee: 358995 km    31  08:19  Beehive 2.3°N of Moon    31  14:27  FULL MOON     31  14:30  Total Lunar Eclipse; mag=1.315    31  19:46  Moon at Ascending Node Feb 01  19:24  Regulus 0.9°S of Moon    07  16:54  LAST QUARTER MOON     07  20:47  Jupiter 4.3°S of Moon    09  06:12  Mars 4.4°S of Moon    11  15:16  Moon at Apogee: 405701 km    11  15:46  Saturn 2.5°S of Moon    11  17:40  Mars 5.0°N of Antares    14  22:11  Moon at Descending Node     15  21:51  Partial Solar Eclipse; mag=0.599    15  22:05  NEW MOON     17  13     Mercury at Superior Conjunction     23  09:09  FIRST QUARTER MOON     23  18:07  Aldebaran 0.7°S of Moon    27  15:48  Moon at Perigee: 363938 km    27  18:28  Beehive 2.3°N of Moon    28  06:03  Moon at Ascending Node Mar 01  06:09  Regulus 0.9°S of Moon    02  01:51  FULL MOON     04  07     Mercury 1.1°N of Venus    04  15     Neptune in Conjunction with Sun     07  07:57  Jupiter 4.1°S of Moon    09  12:20  LAST QUARTER MOON     10  01:37  Mars 3.8°S of Moon    10  12     Mercury at Perihelion     11  03:37  Saturn 2.2°S of Moon    11  10:13  Moon at Apogee: 404682 km    14  04:47  Moon at Descending Node     15  16     Mercury at Greatest Elong: 18.4°E    17  14:12  NEW MOON     18  20:07  Venus 3.7°N of Moon    19  09     Mercury 3.8°N of Venus    20  17:15  Vernal Equinox     22  23:33  Aldebaran 0.9°S of Moon    24  16:35  FIRST QUARTER MOON     26  18:17  Moon at Perigee: 369104 km    27  01:52  Beehive 2.2°N of Moon    27  11:56  Moon at Ascending Node     28  14:38  Regulus 1.0°S of Moon    31  13:37  FULL MOON Apr 01  19     Mercury at Inferior Conjunction     02  20     Mars 1.3°S of Saturn    03  15:14  Jupiter 3.9°S of Moon    07  13:50  Saturn 1.9°S of Moon    07  19:15  Mars 3.1°S of Moon    08  06:32  Moon at Apogee: 404145 km    08  08:18  LAST QUARTER MOON     10  09:09  Moon at Descending Node     14  10:24  Mercury 3.9°N of Moon    16  02:57  NEW MOON     17  13     Saturn at Aphelion: 10.06564 AU    17  20:29  Venus 5.4°N of Moon    18  16     Uranus in Conjunction with Sun     19  05:45  Aldebaran 1.1°S of Moon    20  15:44  Moon at Perigee: 368713 km    22  19     Lyrid Meteor Shower    22  22:46  FIRST QUARTER MOON     23  07:17  Beehive 1.9°N of Moon    23  13:19  Moon at Ascending Node     24  17:47  Venus 3.4°S of Pleiades    24  20:39  Regulus 1.2°S of Moon    29  19     Mercury at Greatest Elong: 27.0°W    30  01:58  FULL MOON     30  18:16  Jupiter 3.8°S of MoonMay 02  14:29  Venus 6.3°N of Aldebaran    04  21:31  Saturn 1.7°S of Moon    05  08     Eta-Aquarid Meteor Shower    06  01:35  Moon at Apogee: 404458 km    06  08:24  Mars 2.7°S of Moon    07  11:23  Moon at Descending Node     08  03:09  LAST QUARTER MOON     09  01     Jupiter at Opposition     13  18:21  Mercury 2.4°N of Moon    15  12:48  NEW MOON     16  02     Venus at Perihelion     17  19:11  Venus 4.8°N of Moon    17  22:06  Moon at Perigee: 363777 km    20  12:57  Beehive 1.7°N of Moon    20  14:13  Moon at Ascending Node     22  01:53  Regulus 1.4°S of Moon    22  04:49  FIRST QUARTER MOON     27  18:39  Jupiter 4.0°S of Moon    29  15:20  FULL MOON Jun 01  02:20  Saturn 1.6°S of Moon    02  17:34  Moon at Apogee: 405316 km    03  12:58  Mars 3.2°S of Moon    03  13:39  Moon at Descending Node     06  03     Mercury at Superior Conjunction     06  11     Mercury at Perihelion     06  19:32  LAST QUARTER MOON     08  04:37  Venus 4.6°S of Pollux    13  20:43  NEW MOON     15  00:55  Moon at Perigee: 359507 km    16  14:13  Venus 2.3°N of Moon    16  18:50  Moon at Ascending Node     16  20:38  Beehive 1.5°N of Moon    18  08:25  Regulus 1.7°S of Moon    20  03:21  Venus 0.4°N of Beehive    20  11:51  FIRST QUARTER MOON     21  11:07  Summer Solstice     23  19:47  Jupiter 4.2°S of Moon    24  22:37  Mercury 4.7°S of Pollux    27  13     Saturn at Opposition     28  04:59  Saturn 1.8°S of Moon    28  05:53  FULL MOON     30  03:43  Moon at Apogee: 406061 km    30  17:44  Moon at Descending Node 
Date     CET   Event        (h:m)Jul 01  02:43  Mars 4.8°S of Moon    04  06:39  Mercury 0.6°S of Beehive    06  08:51  LAST QUARTER MOON     06  18     Earth at Aphelion: 1.01670 AU    10  00:34  Venus 0.9°N of Regulus    10  10:30  Aldebaran 1.1°S of Moon    12  06     Mercury at Greatest Elong: 26.4°E    13  03:48  NEW MOON     13  04:01  Partial Solar Eclipse; mag=0.337    13  09:28  Moon at Perigee: 357432 km    14  03:50  Moon at Ascending Node     14  23:04  Mercury 2.2°S of Moon    15  17:14  Regulus 1.7°S of Moon    16  04:31  Venus 1.6°S of Moon    19  20:52  FIRST QUARTER MOON     20  11     Mercury at Aphelion     21  00:57  Jupiter 4.4°S of Moon    24  17:49  Mercury 1.2°S of Regulus    25  07:10  Saturn 2.0°S of Moon    27  07     Mars at Opposition     27  06:44  Moon at Apogee: 406223 km    27  21:20  FULL MOON     27  21:22  Total Lunar Eclipse; mag=1.609    27  23:40  Moon at Descending Node     28  10     Delta-Aquarid Meteor ShowerAug 04  19:18  LAST QUARTER MOON     06  19:35  Aldebaran 1.1°S of Moon    09  03     Mercury at Inferior Conjunction     10  14:40  Moon at Ascending Node     10  19:05  Moon at Perigee: 358083 km    11  10:46  Partial Solar Eclipse; mag=0.737    11  10:58  NEW MOON     13  02     Perseid Meteor Shower    14  14:35  Venus 6.3°S of Moon    17  11:38  Jupiter 4.5°S of Moon    17  17     Venus at Greatest Elong: 45.9°E    18  08:49  FIRST QUARTER MOON     21  03:09  Mercury 4.8°S of Beehive    21  10:55  Saturn 2.1°S of Moon    23  12:23  Moon at Apogee: 405744 km    24  05:51  Moon at Descending Node     26  12:56  FULL MOON     26  21     Mercury at Greatest Elong: 18.3°WSep 01  05:45  Venus 1.0°S of Spica    02  11     Mercury at Perihelion     03  02:34  Aldebaran 1.2°S of Moon    03  03:37  LAST QUARTER MOON     06  23:42  Moon at Ascending Node     07  03:13  Beehive 1.4°N of Moon    07  18     Neptune at Opposition     08  02:21  Moon at Perigee: 361355 km    09  19:01  NEW MOON     14  03:21  Jupiter 4.4°S of Moon    16  14     Mars at Perihelion:  1.38144 AU    17  00:15  FIRST QUARTER MOON     17  17:46  Saturn 2.1°S of Moon    20  01:54  Moon at Apogee: 404875 km    20  07:38  Mars 4.8°S of Moon    20  10:30  Moon at Descending Node     21  03     Mercury at Superior Conjunction     23  02:54  Autumnal Equinox     25  03:52  FULL MOON     30  08:06  Aldebaran 1.4°S of MoonOct 02  10:45  LAST QUARTER MOON     04  04:10  Moon at Ascending Node     04  10:51  Beehive 1.3°N of Moon    05  22:58  Regulus 1.8°S of Moon    05  23:29  Moon at Perigee: 366396 km    09  04:47  NEW MOON     11  22:21  Jupiter 4.1°S of Moon    15  04:01  Saturn 1.8°S of Moon    16  04     Mercury 6.2°N of Venus    16  19:02  FIRST QUARTER MOON     17  13:03  Moon at Descending Node     17  20:16  Moon at Apogee: 404227 km    18  14:01  Mars 1.9°S of Moon    21  18     Orionid Meteor Shower    24  02     Uranus at Opposition     24  17:45  FULL MOON     26  15     Venus at Inferior Conjunction     27  14:04  Aldebaran 1.6°S of Moon    29  07     Mercury 3.1°S of Jupiter    31  04:46  Moon at Ascending Node     31  16:24  Beehive 1.0°N of Moon    31  17:40  LAST QUARTER MOON     31  21:05  Moon at Perigee: 370201 kmNov 02  05:16  Regulus 2.1°S of Moon    05  19     S Taurid Meteor Shower    06  16     Mercury at Greatest Elong: 23.3°E    07  17:02  NEW MOON     09  05:58  Mercury 1.8°N of Antares    11  16:46  Saturn 1.4°S of Moon    12  18     N Taurid Meteor Shower    13  15:04  Moon at Descending Node     14  16:57  Moon at Apogee: 404341 km    15  00:14  Venus 0.2°S of Spica    15  15:54  FIRST QUARTER MOON     16  05:16  Mars 1.0°N of Moon: Occn.    18  00     Leonid Meteor Shower    23  06:39  FULL MOON     23  22:11  Aldebaran 1.7°S of Moon    26  07     Jupiter in Conjunction with Sun     26  13:10  Moon at Perigee: 366623 km    27  06:18  Moon at Ascending Node     27  10     Mercury at Inferior Conjunction     27  21:57  Beehive 0.8°N of Moon    29  10     Mercury at Perihelion     29  10:27  Regulus 2.3°S of Moon    30  01:19  LAST QUARTER MOON Dec 03  19:42  Venus 3.6°S of Moon    05  22:06  Mercury 1.9°S of Moon    07  08:20  NEW MOON     09  06:30  Saturn 1.1°S of Moon: Occn.    10  18:57  Moon at Descending Node     12  13:25  Moon at Apogee: 405177 km    14  13     Geminid Meteor Shower    15  00:21  Mars 3.6°N of Moon    15  12     Mercury at Greatest Elong: 21.3°W    15  12:49  FIRST QUARTER MOON     21  08:31  Aldebaran 1.7°S of Moon    21  21     Mercury 0.8°N of Jupiter    21  23:22  Winter Solstice     22  09:05  Mercury 5.8°N of Antares    22  16:03  Jupiter 5.1°N of Antares    22  18:49  FULL MOON     22  22     Ursid Meteor Shower    24  10:52  Moon at Perigee: 361060 km    24  12:54  Moon at Ascending Node     25  05:52  Beehive 0.6°N of Moon    26  17:06  Regulus 2.5°S of Moon    26  19     Venus at Perihelion     29  10:34  LAST QUARTER 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
Return to: Planetary Ephemeris Data