Greatest Annual Lunar Standstills: 2001 to 2100
Greenwich Mean Time
Introduction
The Moon's orbit is inclined ˜5.1° to Earth's orbit around the Sun. As a result, the Moon’s declination changes rapidly over the course of the draconic month.
As its declination changes, so does the azimuth of the lunar rise and set positions along the horizon. When the Moon reaches its minimum or maximum declination, the changing rise an set azimuths halt and reverse direction. This event occurs twice each draconic month and is called lunar standstill.
The gravitational pull of the Sun also forces the moon's orbit to slowly rotate westward on its axis ˜19° per year. In a period of ˜18.6 years, the nodes of the lunar orbit make one complete revolution. The effect on the Moon's declination extremes and lunar standstill points are to change them gradually from month to month.
The monthly declination extremes (and lunar standstills) are further modulated over the 18.6 year precession of the Moon's orbital nodes.
The table below gives the date and time (Greenwich Mean Time), as well as the Moon's declination for the greatest lunar standstills each year during the 21st Century (2001-2100). For a table of monthly lunar standstills over the 21st Century, see Lunar Standstills: 2001 - 2100.
For more information on lunar standstill, see the description in Wikipedia
Greatest Annual Lunar Standstills: 2001 to 2100
Greenwich Mean Time (GMT)
Year Minimum Dec Maximum Dec
(°) (°)
2001 Dec 16 07:51 -24.250 Dec 3 06:54 24.246
2002 Dec 6 07:00 -25.808 Nov 23 12:14 25.812
2003 Nov 26 09:16 -27.092 Nov 13 10:16 27.105
2004 Oct 19 08:00 -28.048 Nov 2 01:32 28.042
2005 Oct 9 16:42 -28.604 Sep 25 06:42 28.594
2006 Mar 22 16:53 -28.725 Sep 15 01:28 28.725
2007 Mar 12 16:11 -28.608 Feb 25 23:35 28.600
2008 Mar 1 08:03 -28.030 Feb 16 06:10 28.043
2009 Jan 22 14:02 -27.081 Feb 5 14:55 27.083
2010 Jan 12 08:33 -25.796 Jan 26 21:04 25.783
2011 Jan 2 10:06 -24.242 Jan 16 22:51 24.221
2012 Jan 20 02:12 -22.492 Jan 6 21:46 22.539
2013 Jan 9 15:22 -20.879 Jan 23 05:12 20.816
2014 Jan 27 16:31 -19.396 Jan 13 08:14 19.501
2015 Jan 18 06:17 -18.577 Jan 3 17:53 18.650
2016 Dec 29 03:30 -18.958 Dec 14 21:43 18.937
2017 Dec 19 09:31 -20.062 Dec 5 11:43 20.015
2018 Dec 9 11:12 -21.539 Dec 23 11:48 21.550
2019 Dec 26 20:11 -23.227 Dec 13 20:57 23.226
2020 Dec 15 22:23 -24.879 Dec 3 01:22 24.882
2021 Dec 6 02:25 -26.331 Nov 22 22:43 26.342
2022 Oct 30 01:04 -27.500 Nov 12 14:17 27.497
2023 Oct 20 09:19 -28.305 Oct 5 20:31 28.294
2024 Oct 9 11:53 -28.684 Sep 24 17:04 28.695
2025 Mar 22 06:47 -28.719 Mar 7 15:56 28.710
2026 Mar 11 21:12 -28.416 Feb 25 23:23 28.428
2027 Feb 2 02:38 -27.706 Feb 16 07:59 27.710
2028 Jan 22 21:35 -26.616 Jan 10 02:36 26.604
2029 Jan 12 00:15 -25.199 Jan 26 12:31 25.172
2030 Jan 2 08:17 -23.575 Jan 16 08:26 23.549
2031 Jan 20 05:10 -21.824 Jan 6 05:22 21.889
2032 Jan 10 16:49 -20.298 Jan 23 14:33 20.240
2033 Jan 27 14:55 -18.973 Jan 13 00:33 19.075
2034 Dec 12 00:24 -18.553 Dec 25 08:20 18.552
2035 Dec 29 15:02 -19.326 Dec 15 23:54 19.300
2036 Dec 18 19:32 -20.597 Dec 5 14:26 20.561
2037 Dec 8 22:32 -22.177 Dec 23 09:44 22.193
2038 Dec 26 13:42 -23.882 Dec 13 13:26 23.887
2039 Dec 16 19:27 -25.464 Dec 3 10:32 25.474
2040 Nov 8 17:47 -26.814 Nov 22 02:56 26.813
2041 Oct 30 01:24 -27.842 Oct 15 10:36 27.830
2042 Oct 20 02:47 -28.484 Oct 5 09:09 28.491
2043 Sep 12 11:52 -28.703 Sep 25 14:42 28.712
2044 Mar 21 10:24 -28.641 Mar 7 16:53 28.650
2045 Feb 11 15:40 -28.184 Feb 26 01:04 28.188
2046 Feb 1 11:30 -27.313 Jan 19 18:56 27.297
2047 Jan 22 15:26 -26.072 Jan 9 16:35 26.065
2048 Jan 13 00:06 -24.561 Jan 26 19:32 24.528
2049 Jan 2 09:17 -22.914 Jan 15 14:32 22.889
2050 Jan 20 05:14 -21.179 Jan 5 16:08 21.260
Year Minimum Dec Maximum Dec
(°) (°)
2051 Jan 10 12:25 -19.761 Jan 23 08:46 19.697
2052 Jan 28 05:16 -18.646 Jan 14 01:12 18.725
2053 Dec 11 12:05 -18.771 Dec 25 11:21 18.770
2054 Dec 29 03:18 -19.763 Dec 16 01:47 19.747
2055 Dec 19 10:14 -21.183 Dec 6 12:59 21.161
2056 Dec 8 17:13 -22.839 Dec 23 00:17 22.858
2057 Dec 26 12:09 -24.515 Dec 12 21:41 24.523
2058 Nov 19 09:59 -26.009 Dec 2 15:32 26.007
2059 Nov 9 16:49 -27.235 Oct 26 00:57 27.221
2060 Oct 29 17:05 -28.126 Oct 15 01:31 28.128
2061 Sep 22 01:19 -28.618 Oct 5 08:07 28.627
2062 Mar 31 23:35 -28.700 Mar 18 10:23 28.705
2063 Feb 22 05:08 -28.506 Mar 8 17:57 28.509
2064 Feb 12 02:10 -27.877 Feb 26 20:12 27.859
2065 Feb 1 07:20 -26.842 Jan 19 06:25 26.834
2066 Jan 22 16:31 -25.483 Jan 8 23:20 25.491
2067 Jan 13 00:58 -23.918 Jan 26 00:50 23.887
2068 Jan 3 06:47 -22.264 Jan 16 02:15 22.237
2069 Jan 19 21:30 -20.561 Jan 5 11:24 20.637
2070 Jan 10 01:11 -19.284 Jan 23 11:27 19.199
2071 Dec 21 16:34 -18.491 Jan 14 05:41 18.487
2072 Dec 11 01:27 -19.074 Dec 25 11:40 19.089
2073 Dec 28 21:37 -20.262 Dec 15 22:11 20.261
2074 Dec 19 07:42 -21.818 Dec 6 03:04 21.807
2075 Dec 9 16:58 -23.506 Dec 23 08:10 23.513
2076 Nov 29 01:35 -25.107 Dec 12 04:08 25.101
2077 Nov 19 07:28 -26.504 Dec 2 01:46 26.488
2078 Nov 9 06:39 -27.622 Oct 25 18:03 27.619
2079 Oct 2 14:21 -28.371 Oct 16 01:28 28.379
2080 Sep 21 02:33 -28.695 Oct 5 09:52 28.682
2081 Mar 3 19:02 -28.668 Mar 18 10:33 28.673
2082 Feb 21 17:28 -28.301 Mar 8 11:15 28.286
2083 Feb 11 23:43 -27.496 Jan 29 19:56 27.490
2084 Jan 6 00:00 -26.325 Jan 19 11:13 26.337
2085 Jan 22 16:48 -24.889 Jan 8 06:00 24.917
2086 Jan 12 20:12 -23.281 Jan 25 13:48 23.242
2087 Jan 2 20:56 -21.607 Jan 15 23:20 21.560
2088 Jan 20 07:03 -19.974 Jan 6 13:09 20.031
2089 Jan 9 11:53 -18.913 Jan 23 16:27 18.817
2090 Dec 21 09:01 -18.635 Dec 8 10:25 18.615
2091 Dec 11 21:09 -19.452 Dec 26 05:42 19.486
2092 Dec 28 21:39 -20.841 Dec 15 10:58 20.845
2093 Dec 19 08:07 -22.474 Dec 5 10:38 22.462
2094 Dec 9 16:26 -24.130 Dec 22 16:44 24.122
2095 Nov 29 21:17 -25.668 Dec 12 17:10 25.653
2096 Nov 18 19:28 -26.983 Nov 4 10:37 26.978
2097 Oct 12 03:01 -27.965 Oct 25 18:36 27.974
2098 Oct 1 16:07 -28.555 Oct 16 02:35 28.546
2099 Sep 21 11:16 -28.686 Mar 29 02:46 28.678
2100 Mar 4 09:16 -28.575 Mar 19 01:50 28.566
Summary
The greatest lunar standstills due to extremes in the Moon's declination during the 21st Century are listed below. The extremes occur at intervals of nearly two decades as a consequence of the ˜18.6 year period in the precession of the Moon's orbital nodes. Note also that the greatest extremes always occur near the equinoxes.
Greatest Lunar Standstills: 2001 to 2100
Greenwich Mean Time (GMT)
Year Minimum Dec Maximum Dec
(°) (°)
2006 Mar 22 16:53 -28.725 Sep 15 01:28 28.725
2025 Mar 22 06:47 -28.719 Mar 7 15:56 28.710
2043 Sep 12 11:52 -28.703 Sep 25 14:42 28.712
2062 Mar 31 23:35 -28.700 Mar 18 10:23 28.705
2080 Sep 21 02:33 -28.695 Oct 5 09:52 28.682
2099 Sep 21 11:16 -28.686 Mar 29 02:46 28.678
For a table of monthly lunar standstills over the 21st Century, see Lunar Standstills: 2001 - 2100. Additional information on lunar standstill is available in Wikipedia
Acknowledgement
All calculations are by Fred Espenak, and he assumes full responsibility for their accuracy. Algorithms used in predicting the Moon's perigee and apogee 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:
- "Moon Perigee and Apogee Table Courtesy of Fred Espenak, www.Astropixels.com".
Various phases of the Moon during the synodic month.
Additional Links About the Moon
The links below are tables providing the dates and times of the Moon's phases (New Moon,
First Quarter, Full Moon and Last Quarter) for five time zones throughout the 21st Century.
Links to tables of dates for lunar perigees, apogees, super moons, lunar nodes and standstills,
and length of the synodic month throughout the 21st Century.
The following links offer several galleries of Moon photographs.