2008 Sky Event Almanac
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 (Coordinated Universal Time − 9 hours) . This time zone may have different names in different countries. If Daylight Saving Time is in effect, add one hour to the times listed. A key to astronomical terms appears below the almanac.
| 2008 Sky Event Almanac | ||||||||
| Alaska Standard Time | ||||||||
| January - June | July - December | |||||||
Date AKST Even
(h:m)
Jan 01 05:51 Spica 2.4°N of Moon
02 15 Earth at Perihelion: 0.98328 AU
02 23:06 Moon at Apogee: 405328 km
03 22 Quadrantid Meteor Shower
05 00:55 Antares 0.5°N of Moon
08 02:37 NEW MOON
11 06:17 Moon at Ascending Node
15 10:46 FIRST QUARTER MOON
17 21:43 Pleiades 1.1°S of Moon
18 23:39 Moon at Perigee: 366436 km
19 14:40 Mars 1.1°S of Moon: Occn.
21 15:00 Pollux 3.8°N of Moon
21 20 Mercury at Greatest Elong: 18.6°E
22 04:35 FULL MOON
24 01:49 Moon at Descending Node
24 05:57 Regulus 0.7°N of Moon
24 21:25 Saturn 3.0°N of Moon
27 09 Mercury at Perihelion
28 14:09 Spica 2.5°N of Moon
29 20:03 LAST QUARTER MOON
30 19:26 Moon at Apogee: 404532 km
Feb 01 04 Venus 0.6°N of Jupiter
01 08:57 Antares 0.6°N of Moon
03 20:52 Jupiter 4.0°N of Moon
04 02:35 Venus 4.3°N of Moon
06 09 Mercury at Inferior Conjunction
06 18:44 NEW MOON
06 18:55 Annular Solar Eclipse; mag=0.965
07 12:39 Moon at Ascending Node
10 17 Neptune in Conjunction with Sun
13 16:07 Moon at Perigee: 370216 km
13 18:34 FIRST QUARTER MOON
14 03:35 Pleiades 1.2°S of Moon
15 22:53 Mars 1.6°S of Moon
17 23:15 Pollux 3.8°N of Moon
20 11:01 Moon at Descending Node
20 15:16 Regulus 0.7°N of Moon
20 18:26 Total Lunar Eclipse; mag=1.106
20 18:31 FULL MOON
21 03:01 Saturn 2.9°N of Moon
24 00 Saturn at Opposition
24 22:47 Spica 2.6°N of Moon
26 23 Mercury 1.1°N of Venus
27 16:27 Moon at Apogee: 404442 km
28 17:16 Antares 0.6°N of Moon
28 17:18 LAST QUARTER MOON
Mar 02 15:56 Jupiter 3.6°N of Moon
03 02 Mercury at Greatest Elong: 27.1°W
05 04:59 Mercury 0.2°N of Moon: Occn.
05 10:20 Venus 0.2°S of Moon: Occn.
05 21:52 Moon at Ascending Node
07 08:14 NEW MOON
08 11 Uranus in Conjunction with Sun
10 12:39 Moon at Perigee: 366302 km
11 09 Mercury at Aphelion
12 09:09 Pleiades 1.2°S of Moon
14 01:46 FIRST QUARTER MOON
14 17:58 Mars 1.7°S of Moon
16 05:16 Pollux 3.8°N of Moon
18 17:53 Moon at Descending Node
18 22:35 Regulus 0.7°N of Moon
19 06:31 Saturn 2.7°N of Moon
19 20:49 Vernal Equinox
21 03 Venus at Aphelion
21 09:40 FULL MOON
23 06:47 Spica 2.5°N of Moon
24 04 Mercury 1.0°S of Venus
26 11:13 Moon at Apogee: 405094 km
27 01:04 Antares 0.5°N of Moon
29 12:47 LAST QUARTER MOON
30 08:23 Jupiter 3.2°N of Moon
Apr 02 06:18 Moon at Ascending Node
04 16:09 Venus 4.7°S of Moon
05 18:55 NEW MOON
07 10:28 Moon at Perigee: 361083 km
08 16:38 Pleiades 1.0°S of Moon
11 20:35 Mars 1.2°S of Moon: Occn.
12 09:32 FIRST QUARTER MOON
12 10:47 Pollux 4.0°N of Moon
14 20:48 Moon at Descending Node
15 04:23 Regulus 0.9°N of Moon
15 09:42 Saturn 2.6°N of Moon
15 22 Mercury at Superior Conjunction
19 13:36 Spica 2.4°N of Moon
20 01:25 FULL MOON
21 19 Lyrid Meteor Shower
23 00:34 Moon at Apogee: 405945 km
23 07:57 Antares 0.3°N of Moon
24 08 Mercury at Perihelion
26 07:24 Mars 4.7°S of Pollux
26 20:11 Jupiter 2.8°N of Moon
28 05:12 LAST QUARTER MOON
29 11:07 Moon at Ascending Node
May 02 11:07 Mercury 2.0°S of Pleiades
03 12:12 Saturn 0.6°N of Regulus
04 09 Eta-Aquarid Meteor Shower
05 03:18 NEW MOON
05 18:22 Moon at Perigee: 357772 km
06 13:17 Mercury 2.5°S of Moon
09 17:51 Pollux 4.3°N of Moon
10 04:44 Mars 0.2°S of Moon: Occn.
11 18:47 FIRST QUARTER MOON
11 21:37 Moon at Descending Node
12 10:14 Regulus 1.1°N of Moon
12 15:08 Saturn 2.8°N of Moon
12 17 Mars at Aphelion: 1.66594 AU
13 19 Mercury at Greatest Elong: 21.8°E
16 19:35 Spica 2.5°N of Moon
19 17:11 FULL MOON
20 05:27 Moon at Apogee: 406404 km
20 14:06 Antares 0.2°N of Moon
24 02:20 Jupiter 2.5°N of Moon
26 12:45 Moon at Ascending Node
27 17:57 LAST QUARTER MOON
Jun 03 04:08 Moon at Perigee: 357251 km
03 10:23 NEW MOON
06 03:04 Pollux 4.5°N of Moon
07 06 Mercury at Inferior Conjunction
07 17:13 Mars 1.1°N of Moon: Occn.
08 00:15 Moon at Descending Node
08 17:37 Regulus 1.4°N of Moon
08 19 Venus at Superior Conjunction
09 00:26 Saturn 3.1°N of Moon
10 06:04 FIRST QUARTER MOON
13 01:37 Spica 2.7°N of Moon
16 08:33 Moon at Apogee: 406229 km
16 20:08 Antares 0.2°N of Moon
18 08:30 FULL MOON
19 05:05 Mercury 1.5°N of Aldebaran
20 03:44 Jupiter 2.4°N of Moon
20 15:00 Summer Solstice
22 14:17 Moon at Ascending Node
26 03:10 LAST QUARTER MOON
29 23:13 Pleiades 1.0°S of Moon
|
Date AKST Even
(h:m)
Jul 01 01:15 Mars 0.6°N of Regulus
01 09 Mercury at Greatest Elong: 21.8°W
01 12:22 Moon at Perigee: 359513 km
02 17:19 NEW MOON
03 23 Earth at Aphelion: 1.01675 AU
05 06:53 Moon at Descending Node
06 02:46 Regulus 1.6°N of Moon
06 09:03 Mars 2.6°N of Moon
06 13:27 Saturn 3.5°N of Moon
09 00 Jupiter at Opposition
09 19:35 FIRST QUARTER MOON
10 08:33 Spica 2.9°N of Moon
10 14 Mars 0.6°S of Saturn
11 11 Venus at Perihelion
13 19:13 Moon at Apogee: 405452 km
14 02:40 Antares 0.3°N of Moon
17 03:27 Jupiter 2.6°N of Moon
17 22:59 FULL MOON
19 18:27 Moon at Ascending Node
21 07 Mercury at Perihelion
25 09:42 LAST QUARTER MOON
27 07:08 Pleiades 1.1°S of Moon
27 10 Delta-Aquarid Meteor Shower
29 11 Mercury at Superior Conjunction
29 14:24 Moon at Perigee: 363887 km
30 23:31 Pollux 4.6°N of Moon
Aug 01 01:13 NEW MOON
01 01:21 Total Solar Eclipse; mag=1.039
01 16:21 Moon at Descending Node
02 05:49 Venus 2.3°N of Moon
02 12:42 Regulus 1.7°N of Moon
03 04:42 Saturn 3.8°N of Moon
04 03:14 Mars 4.0°N of Moon
05 15:57 Venus 0.9°N of Regulus
06 16:38 Spica 3.0°N of Moon
08 11:20 FIRST QUARTER MOON
10 10:00 Antares 0.4°N of Moon
10 11:18 Moon at Apogee: 404558 km
12 02 Perseid Meteor Shower
13 05:12 Jupiter 2.8°N of Moon
13 10 Venus 0.2°S of Saturn
14 21 Neptune at Opposition
15 12 Mercury 0.6°S of Saturn
16 01:27 Moon at Ascending Node
16 12:10 Partial Lunar Eclipse; mag=0.808
16 12:16 FULL MOON
20 12 Mercury 0.9°S of Venus
23 13:01 Pleiades 1.1°S of Moon
23 14:50 LAST QUARTER MOON
25 18:44 Moon at Perigee: 368693 km
27 07:45 Pollux 4.6°N of Moon
29 01:30 Moon at Descending Node
30 10:58 NEW MOON
Sep 01 14:16 Mercury 2.9°N of Moon
03 01:20 Spica 3.0°N of Moon
03 07 Mercury at Aphelion
03 17 Saturn in Conjunction with Sun
06 17:56 Antares 0.3°N of Moon
06 18 Mercury 2.5°S of Mars
07 05:04 FIRST QUARTER MOON
07 05:58 Moon at Apogee: 404210 km
09 11:26 Jupiter 2.8°N of Moon
10 19 Mercury at Greatest Elong: 26.9°E
11 17 Venus 0.3°N of Mars
12 07 Mercury 3.6°S of Venus
12 09:24 Moon at Ascending Node
12 17 Uranus at Opposition
15 00:13 FULL MOON
18 18:35 Venus 2.2°N of Spica
19 18:17 Moon at Perigee: 368890 km
19 18:27 Pleiades 1.0°S of Moon
21 20:04 LAST QUARTER MOON
22 06:45 Autumnal Equinox
22 15 Mercury 4.0°S of Mars
23 10:51 Mercury 1.2°S of Spica
23 13:57 Pollux 4.7°N of Moon
24 16:47 Mars 2.1°N of Spica
25 07:20 Moon at Descending Node
26 05:38 Regulus 1.7°N of Moon
27 10:53 Saturn 4.6°N of Moon
28 23:12 NEW MOON
30 09:42 Spica 2.9°N of Moon
Oct 04 01:52 Antares 0.1°N of Moon
05 01:34 Moon at Apogee: 404716 km
06 12 Mercury at Inferior Conjunction
06 22:22 Jupiter 2.5°N of Moon
07 00:04 FIRST QUARTER MOON
09 15:38 Moon at Ascending Node
14 11:03 FULL MOON
16 21:06 Moon at Perigee: 363828 km
17 01:32 Pleiades 0.8°S of Moon
17 07 Mercury at Perihelion
20 19 Orionid Meteor Shower
20 19:24 Pollux 4.9°N of Moon
21 02:55 LAST QUARTER MOON
22 00 Mercury at Greatest Elong: 18.3°W
22 09:00 Moon at Descending Node
23 11:33 Regulus 1.9°N of Moon
26 13:15 Venus 3.1°N of Antares
28 14:14 NEW MOON
31 09:13 Antares 0.1°S of Moon
31 23:11 Venus 2.6°N of Moon
Nov 01 19:55 Moon at Apogee: 405723 km
03 12:54 Jupiter 1.9°N of Moon
04 19 S Taurid Meteor Shower
05 18:34 Moon at Ascending Node
05 19:03 FIRST QUARTER MOON
11 18 N Taurid Meteor Shower
12 21:17 FULL MOON
13 11:16 Pleiades 0.7°S of Moon
14 00:59 Moon at Perigee: 358973 km
17 01 Leonid Meteor Shower
18 09:37 Moon at Descending Node
19 12:31 LAST QUARTER MOON
19 17:17 Regulus 2.2°N of Moon
23 23:03 Spica 3.0°N of Moon
25 08 Mercury at Superior Conjunction
27 07:55 NEW MOON
29 07:55 Moon at Apogee: 406480 km
Dec 01 00 Venus 2.0°S of Jupiter
01 05:45 Jupiter 1.3°N of Moon
01 07:01 Venus 0.8°S of Moon: Occn.
02 19:47 Moon at Ascending Node
05 12:26 FIRST QUARTER MOON
05 13 Mars in Conjunction with Sun
10 22:38 Pleiades 0.8°S of Moon
12 07:37 FULL MOON
12 12:37 Moon at Perigee: 356568 km
13 14 Geminid Meteor Shower
15 14:02 Moon at Descending Node
17 00:47 Regulus 2.4°N of Moon
19 01:29 LAST QUARTER MOON
21 03:04 Winter Solstice
21 04:54 Spica 3.2°N of Moon
21 22 Ursid Meteor Shower
24 21:53 Antares 0.1°S of Moon
26 08:50 Moon at Apogee: 406602 km
27 03:22 NEW MOON
28 19:09 Mercury 0.7°S of Moon: Occn.
29 00:07 Jupiter 0.6°N of Moon: Occn.
29 22:40 Moon at Ascending Node
31 12:03 Venus 3.4°S of Moon
|
|||||||
Terms Used in Sky Event Almanac
- 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
2008 Phases 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 (Coordinated Universal Time − 9 hours) . This time zone may have different names in different countries. If Daylight Saving Time is in effect, add one hour to the times listed.
| 2008 Phases of the Moon | |||
| Alaska Standard Time | |||
| New Moon | First Quarter | Full Moon | Last Quarter |
| Jan 08 02:37 | Jan 15 10:46 | Jan 22 04:35 | Jan 29 20:03 |
| Feb 06 18:44 A | Feb 13 18:34 | Feb 20 18:31 t | Feb 28 17:18 |
| Mar 07 08:14 | Mar 14 01:46 | Mar 21 09:40 | Mar 29 12:47 |
| Apr 05 18:55 | Apr 12 09:32 | Apr 20 01:25 | Apr 28 05:12 |
| May 05 03:18 | May 11 18:47 | May 19 17:11 | May 27 17:57 |
| Jun 03 10:23 | Jun 10 06:04 | Jun 18 08:30 | Jun 26 03:10 |
| Jul 02 17:19 | Jul 09 19:35 | Jul 17 22:59 | Jul 25 09:42 |
| Aug 01 01:13 T | Aug 08 11:20 | Aug 16 12:16 p | Aug 23 14:50 |
| Aug 30 10:58 | Sep 07 05:04 | Sep 15 00:13 | Sep 21 20:04 |
| Sep 28 23:12 | Oct 07 00:04 | Oct 14 11:03 | Oct 21 02:55 |
| Oct 28 14:14 | Nov 05 19:04 | Nov 12 21:17 | Nov 19 12:31 |
| Nov 27 07:55 | Dec 05 12:26 | Dec 12 07:37 | Dec 19 01:29 |
| Dec 27 03:23 | - | - | - |
For a collection of images showing the Moon's phases see: Phases of the Moon Photo Gallery.
The Phases of the Moon table also shows when an eclipse takes place. 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 Phases of the Moon table. 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.
Solar Eclipses
The following table contains links to a series of web pages covering the 21st Century. Each one summarizes ten years of solar eclipses. Every eclipse has links to a global visibility map, an interactive Google map, tables, and additional information.
| Decade Pages of Solar Eclipses | |||||
| Decades | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001-2010 | 2011-2020 | 2021-2030 | 2031-2040 | 2041-2050 | |
| 2051-2060 | 2061-2070 | 2071-2080 | 2081-2090 | 2091-2100 | |
Lunar Eclipses
The following table contains links to a series of web pages covering the 21st Century. Each one summarizes ten years of lunar eclipses. Every eclipse has links to an eclipse diagram, a global visibility map, tables, and additional information.
| Decade Pages of Lunar Eclipses | |||||
| Decades | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001-2010 | 2011-2020 | 2021-2030 | 2031-2040 | 2041-2050 | |
| 2051-2060 | 2061-2070 | 2071-2080 | 2081-2090 | 2091-2100 | |
Sky Event Almanacs: 2001 to 2010
The Americas
Below are links to sky event almanacs from 2001 to 2010 for eight time zones in the Americas.
Choose a time zone and click on a year to get a sky event almanac for that year.
| Sky Event Almanacs - The Americas | |||||||||||||||
| ART | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | |||||
| AST | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | |||||
| EST | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | |||||
| CST | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | |||||
| MST | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | |||||
| PST | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | |||||
| AKST | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | |||||
| HST | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | |||||
- ART = Argentina Time (= UTC - 3 hours)
- AST = Atlantic Standard Time (= UTC - 4 hours)
- EST = Eastern Standard Time (= UTC - 5 hours)
- CST = Central Standard Time (= UTC - 6 hours)
- MST = Mountain Standard Time (= UTC - 7 hours)
- PST = Pacific Standard Time (= UTC - 8 hours)
- AKST = Alaskan Standard Time (= UTC - 9 hours)
- HST = Hawaiian Standard Time (= UTC - 10 hours)
(where UTC = Coordinated Universal Time)
- Time Zones Abbreviations
A time zone may have a different name in different countries. Note the difference in hours between a given time zone and Coordinated Universal Time to help in identification.
For other years and other time zones, visit: Sky Event Almanacs.
Accuracy of the Sky Event Almanacs
The goal of the Sky Event Almanacs 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 Sky Event Almanacs | |
| 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 |
Fifty Year Almanac of Astronomical Events - 2021 to 2070
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:
- "Sky Event Almanacs Courtesy of Fred Espenak, www.AstroPixels.com".
Return to: Sky Event Almanacs
Return to: Planetary Ephemeris Data
Useful External Links
Interactive Sky Chart (Sky and Telescope)
Sky Maps (sky-map.org)
Astronomical Almanac (Sky and Telescope)
Weather Forecast for Astronomy (Clear Outside)
GOES-East Images (NOAA-GOES)
Astronomy Tools (Astronomy Tools)