2021 Calendar of Astronomical Events




    


2021 Phases of the Moon

Greenwich Mean Time

The following table gives the date and time of the Moon's phases for the year. If Daylight Saving Time is in effect, add one hour to the times listed.

2021 Phases of the Moon
Greenwich Mean Time
New Moon First Quarter Full Moon Last Quarter
--- Jan 6 09:37
Jan 13 05:00 Jan 20 21:02 Jan 28 19:16 Feb 4 17:37
Feb 11 19:06 Feb 19 18:47 Feb 27 08:17 Mar 6 01:30
Mar 13 10:21 Mar 21 14:40 Mar 28 18:48 Apr 4 10:02
Apr 12 02:31 Apr 20 06:59 Apr 27 03:31 May 3 19:50
May 11 19:00 May 19 19:13 May 26 11:14 t Jun 2 07:24
Jun 10 10:53 A Jun 18 03:54 Jun 24 18:40 Jul 1 21:11
Jul 10 01:17 Jul 17 10:11 Jul 24 02:37 Jul 31 13:16
Aug 8 13:50 Aug 15 15:20 Aug 22 12:02 Aug 30 07:13
Sep 7 00:52 Sep 13 20:39 Sep 20 23:55 Sep 29 01:57
Oct 6 11:05 Oct 13 03:25 Oct 20 14:57 Oct 28 20:05
Nov 4 21:15 Nov 11 12:46 Nov 19 08:58 p Nov 27 12:28
Dec 4 07:43 T Dec 11 01:36 Dec 19 04:36 Dec 27 02:24

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.



2021 Calendar of Astronomical Events

Greenwich Mean Time

The following table gives the date and time of the important astronomical events for the year. If Daylight Saving Time is in effect, add one hour to the times listed. A key to astronomical terms appears below the calendar.

2021 Calendar of Astronomical Events
January - June July - December
Date     GMT   Event
        (h:m)

Jan 02  08:59  Earth at Perihelion: 0.98325 
    06  09:37  LAST QUARTER 
    09  15:39  Moon at Perigee: 367390 km
    10  20:14  Moon at Descending Node 
    11  20:12  Venus 1.5°N of Moon
    13  05:00  NEW MOON 
    20  21:02  FIRST QUARTER 
    21  13:11  Moon at Apogee: 404361 km
    24  02     Mercury at Greatest Elong: 18.6°E
    24  02     Saturn-Sun Conjunction 
    24  21:47  Moon at Ascending Node 
    28  19:16  FULL MOON 
    29  01     Jupiter-Sun Conjunction 
    29  02     Mercury at Perihelion 

Feb 03  19:33  Moon at Perigee: 370127 km
    04  17:37  LAST QUARTER 
    07  00:29  Moon at Descending Node 
    08  14     Mercury at Inferior Conjunction 
    11  19:06  NEW MOON 
    18  10:22  Moon at Apogee: 404467 km
    18  22:47  Mars 3.7°N of Moon
    19  18:47  FIRST QUARTER 
    20  05     Venus at Aphelion 
    21  01:44  Moon at Ascending Node 
    23  08     Mercury-Saturn: 4.0°
    27  08:17  FULL MOON 

Mar 02  05:19  Moon at Perigee: 365422 km
    03  23:36  Mars-Pleiades: 2.6°S
    05  05     Mercury-Jupiter: 0.3°
    06  00:56  Moon at Descending Node 
    06  01:30  LAST QUARTER 
    06  11     Mercury at Greatest Elong: 27.3°W
    09  23:02  Saturn 3.7°N of Moon
    10  15:35  Jupiter 4.0°N of Moon
    11  00     Neptune-Sun Conjunction 
    11  01:02  Mercury 3.7°N of Moon
    13  10:21  NEW MOON 
    14  02     Mercury at Aphelion 
    18  05:04  Moon at Apogee: 405253 km
    19  17:48  Mars 1.9°N of Moon
    20  03:31  Moon at Ascending Node 
    20  09:37  Vernal Equinox 
    20  19:15  Mars-Aldebaran: 6.9°N
    21  14:40  FIRST QUARTER 
    26  06     Venus at Superior Conjunction 
    28  18:48  FULL MOON 
    30  06:12  Moon at Perigee: 360311 km

Apr 02  02:41  Moon at Descending Node 
    04  10:02  LAST QUARTER 
    06  08:34  Saturn 4.0°N of Moon
    07  07:15  Jupiter 4.4°N of Moon
    12  02:31  NEW MOON 
    14  17:47  Moon at Apogee: 406120 km
    16  05:53  Moon at Ascending Node 
    17  12:09  Mars 0.1°N of Moon: Occn.
    19  02     Mercury at Superior Conjunction 
    20  06:59  FIRST QUARTER 
    27  01     Mercury at Perihelion 
    27  03:31  FULL MOON 
    27  15:24  Moon at Perigee: 357379 km
    29  09:17  Moon at Descending Node 
    30  21     Uranus-Sun Conjunction 

May 03  17:02  Saturn 4.2°N of Moon
    03  19:50  LAST QUARTER 
    04  03:03  Mercury-Pleiades: 2.1°S
    04  21:00  Jupiter 4.6°N of Moon
    11  19:00  NEW MOON 
    11  21:54  Moon at Apogee: 406512 km
    13  10:29  Moon at Ascending Node 
    13  17:59  Mercury 2.1°N of Moon
    16  04:47  Mars 1.5°S of Moon
    17  06     Mercury at Greatest Elong: 22.0°E
    19  19:13  FIRST QUARTER 
    26  01:52  Moon at Perigee: 357310 km
    26  11:14  FULL MOON 
    26  11:19  Total Lunar Eclipse; mag=1.006
    26  19:38  Moon at Descending Node 
    29  03     Mercury-Venus: 0.4°
    31  01:22  Saturn 4.2°N of Moon
    31  11:41  Mars-Pollux: 5.2°S

Jun 01  08:57  Jupiter 4.6°N of Moon
    02  07:24  LAST QUARTER 
    08  02:27  Moon at Apogee: 406230 km
    09  16:42  Moon at Ascending Node 
    10  10:43  Annular Solar Eclipse; mag=0.943
    10  10:53  NEW MOON 
    11  01     Mercury at Inferior Conjunction 
    12  06:44  Venus 1.5°S of Moon
    12  13     Venus at Perihelion 
    13  19:52  Mars 2.8°S of Moon
    18  03:54  FIRST QUARTER 
    21  03:32  Summer Solstice 
    21  15:57  Venus-Pollux: 5.1°S
    22  20:36  Mercury-Aldebaran: 1.8°N
    23  05:21  Mars-Beehive: 0.3°S
    23  06:07  Moon at Descending Node 
    23  09:58  Moon at Perigee: 359960 km
    24  18:40  FULL MOON 
    27  09:30  Saturn 4.0°N of Moon
    28  18:38  Jupiter 4.5°N of Moon

Date     GMT   Event
        (h:m)

Jul 01  21:11  LAST QUARTER 
    03  02:45  Venus-Beehive: 0.1°N
    04  20     Mercury at Greatest Elong: 21.6°W
    05  14:48  Moon at Apogee: 405342 km
    06  02:59  Earth at Aphelion: 1.01673 
    06  22:41  Moon at Ascending Node 
    08  04:38  Mercury 3.7°S of Moon
    10  01:17  NEW MOON 
    12  09:10  Venus 3.3°S of Moon
    12  10:10  Mars 3.8°S of Moon
    13  00     Mars at Aphelion 
    17  10:11  FIRST QUARTER 
    20  13:22  Moon at Descending Node 
    21  10:30  Moon at Perigee: 364520 km
    21  21:21  Venus-Regulus: 1.0°N
    24  01     Mercury at Perihelion 
    24  02:37  FULL MOON 
    24  16:42  Saturn 3.8°N of Moon
    26  01:17  Jupiter 4.2°N of Moon
    29  14:09  Mars-Regulus: 0.6°N
    31  13:16  LAST QUARTER 

Aug 01  14     Mercury at Superior Conjunction 
    02  05     Saturn at Opposition 
    02  07:35  Moon at Apogee: 404412 km
    03  02:51  Moon at Ascending Node 
    08  13:50  NEW MOON 
    11  07:00  Venus 4.3°S of Moon
    15  15:20  FIRST QUARTER 
    16  16:04  Moon at Descending Node 
    17  09:23  Moon at Perigee: 369127 km
    19  03     Mercury-Mars: 0.1°
    19  23     Jupiter at Opposition 
    20  22:19  Saturn 3.7°N of Moon
    22  04:52  Jupiter 4.0°N of Moon
    22  12:02  FULL MOON 
    30  02:22  Moon at Apogee: 404100 km
    30  05:13  Moon at Ascending Node 
    30  07:13  LAST QUARTER 

Sep 05  14:32  Venus-Spica: 1.4°N
    06  00     Mercury at Aphelion 
    07  00:52  NEW MOON 
    10  02:09  Venus 4.1°S of Moon
    11  10:05  Moon at Perigee: 368464 km
    12  16:35  Moon at Descending Node 
    13  20:39  FIRST QUARTER 
    14  04     Mercury at Greatest Elong: 26.8°E
    14  08     Neptune at Opposition 
    17  02:37  Saturn 3.8°N of Moon
    18  06:50  Jupiter 4.0°N of Moon
    20  23:55  FULL MOON 
    21  02:00  Mercury-Spica: 1.2°S
    22  19:21  Autumnal Equinox 
    26  07:33  Moon at Ascending Node 
    26  21:44  Moon at Apogee: 404641 km
    29  01:57  LAST QUARTER 

Oct 02  22     Venus at Aphelion 
    06  11:05  NEW MOON 
    08  04     Mars-Sun Conjunction 
    08  17:28  Moon at Perigee: 363388 km
    09  16     Mercury at Inferior Conjunction 
    09  18:36  Venus 2.9°S of Moon
    09  19:35  Moon at Descending Node 
    13  03:25  FIRST QUARTER 
    14  07:12  Saturn 3.9°N of Moon
    15  09:58  Jupiter 4.1°N of Moon
    16  13:24  Venus-Antares: 1.4°N
    20  00     Mercury at Perihelion 
    20  14:57  FULL MOON 
    23  11:47  Moon at Ascending Node 
    24  15:30  Moon at Apogee: 405616 km
    25  05     Mercury at Greatest Elong: 18.4°W
    28  20:05  LAST QUARTER 
    29  22     Venus at Greatest Elong: 47.0°E

Nov 02  01:18  Mercury-Spica: 3.7°N
    04  21:15  NEW MOON 
    05  00     Uranus at Opposition 
    05  22:23  Moon at Perigee: 358845 km
    06  03:38  Moon at Descending Node 
    08  05:21  Venus 1.1°S of Moon: Occn.
    10  14:27  Saturn 4.1°N of Moon
    11  12:46  FIRST QUARTER 
    11  17:13  Jupiter 4.4°N of Moon
    19  08:58  FULL MOON 
    19  09:04  Partial Lunar Eclipse; mag=0.972
    19  17:59  Moon at Ascending Node 
    21  02:14  Moon at Apogee: 406276 km
    27  12:28  LAST QUARTER 
    29  05     Mercury at Superior Conjunction 

Dec 03  14:58  Moon at Descending Node 
    04  07:35  Total Solar Eclipse; mag=1.036
    04  07:43  NEW MOON 
    04  10:01  Moon at Perigee: 356794 km
    07  00:48  Venus 1.9°N of Moon
    08  01:52  Saturn 4.2°N of Moon
    09  06:07  Jupiter 4.5°N of Moon
    11  01:36  FIRST QUARTER 
    17  00:12  Moon at Ascending Node 
    18  02:16  Moon at Apogee: 406322 km
    19  04:36  FULL MOON 
    21  15:59  Winter Solstice 
    27  02:24  LAST QUARTER 
    27  09:15  Mars-Antares: 4.4°N
    29  05     Mercury-Venus: 4.2°
    31  01:07  Moon at Descending Node 
    31  20:13  Mars 1.0°N of Moon: Occn.

    

  • Perihelion - the position in a planet's orbit closest to the Sun
  • Aphelion - the position in a planet's orbit furthest from the Sun
  • Perigee - the position in the Moon's orbit closest to Earth
  • Apogee - the position in the Moon's orbit furthest from Earth
  • Inferior Conjunction - Mercury or Venus passes between Earth and the Sun
  • Superior Conjunction - Mercury or Venus passes on the opposite side of the Sun from Earth
  • Greatest Elongation - elongation is the angle between the Sun and a planet 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 - the position in a planet's orbit when it appears opposite the Sun as seen from Earth
  • Conjunction - the position in a planet's orbit when it appears closest the Sun as seen from Earth
  • Occultation - the Moon occults or eclipses a star or planet
  • Ascending Node - the point where a planet crosses from the southern to northern portion of its orbit
  • Descending Node - the point where a planet crosses from the northern to the southern portion of its orbit



Calendars for Other Years and Time Zones

The table below contains links to astronomical events calendars for a range of years and Time Zones. Abbreviations for the time zones are: GMT = Greenwich Mean Time, AST = Atlantic Standard Time, EST = Eastern Standard Time, CST = Central Standard Time, MST = Mountain Standard Time, PST = Pacific Standard Time, AKST = Alaskan Standard Time, and HST = Hawaiian Standard Time.

Calendar of Astronomical Events
GMT 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025
AST 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025
EST 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025
CST 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025
MST 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025
PST 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025
AKST 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025
HST 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025

For years or time zones not covered above, please visit SKYCAL the astronomical events calendar generator.

Acknowledgements

All calculations are by Fred Espenak, and he assumes full responsibility for their accuracy. Algorithms used in predicting the phases of the Moon, eclipses and other sky phenomena 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:


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