2008 Sky Event Almanac
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 (Coordinated Universal Time + 1 hour) . 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 | ||||||||
| Central European Time | ||||||||
| January - June | July - December | |||||||
Date CET Event
(h:m)
Jan 01 15:51 Spica 2.4°N of Moon
03 01 Earth at Perihelion: 0.98328 AU
03 09:06 Moon at Apogee: 405328 km
04 08 Quadrantid Meteor Shower
05 10:55 Antares 0.5°N of Moon
08 12:37 NEW MOON
11 16:17 Moon at Ascending Node
15 20:46 FIRST QUARTER MOON
18 07:43 Pleiades 1.1°S of Moon
19 09:39 Moon at Perigee: 366436 km
20 00:40 Mars 1.1°S of Moon: Occn.
22 01:00 Pollux 3.8°N of Moon
22 06 Mercury at Greatest Elong: 18.6°E
22 14:35 FULL MOON
24 11:49 Moon at Descending Node
24 15:57 Regulus 0.7°N of Moon
25 07:25 Saturn 3.0°N of Moon
27 19 Mercury at Perihelion
29 00:09 Spica 2.5°N of Moon
30 06:03 LAST QUARTER MOON
31 05:26 Moon at Apogee: 404532 km
Feb 01 14 Venus 0.6°N of Jupiter
01 18:57 Antares 0.6°N of Moon
04 06:52 Jupiter 4.0°N of Moon
04 12:35 Venus 4.3°N of Moon
06 19 Mercury at Inferior Conjunction
07 04:44 NEW MOON
07 04:55 Annular Solar Eclipse; mag=0.965
07 22:39 Moon at Ascending Node
11 03 Neptune in Conjunction with Sun
14 02:07 Moon at Perigee: 370216 km
14 04:34 FIRST QUARTER MOON
14 13:35 Pleiades 1.2°S of Moon
16 08:53 Mars 1.6°S of Moon
18 09:15 Pollux 3.8°N of Moon
20 21:01 Moon at Descending Node
21 01:16 Regulus 0.7°N of Moon
21 04:26 Total Lunar Eclipse; mag=1.106
21 04:31 FULL MOON
21 13:01 Saturn 2.9°N of Moon
24 10 Saturn at Opposition
25 08:47 Spica 2.6°N of Moon
27 09 Mercury 1.1°N of Venus
28 02:27 Moon at Apogee: 404442 km
29 03:16 Antares 0.6°N of Moon
29 03:18 LAST QUARTER MOON
Mar 03 01:56 Jupiter 3.6°N of Moon
03 12 Mercury at Greatest Elong: 27.1°W
05 14:59 Mercury 0.2°N of Moon: Occn.
05 20:20 Venus 0.2°S of Moon: Occn.
06 07:52 Moon at Ascending Node
07 18:14 NEW MOON
08 21 Uranus in Conjunction with Sun
10 22:39 Moon at Perigee: 366302 km
11 19 Mercury at Aphelion
12 19:09 Pleiades 1.2°S of Moon
14 11:46 FIRST QUARTER MOON
15 03:58 Mars 1.7°S of Moon
16 15:16 Pollux 3.8°N of Moon
19 03:53 Moon at Descending Node
19 08:35 Regulus 0.7°N of Moon
19 16:31 Saturn 2.7°N of Moon
20 06:49 Vernal Equinox
21 13 Venus at Aphelion
21 19:40 FULL MOON
23 16:47 Spica 2.5°N of Moon
24 14 Mercury 1.0°S of Venus
26 21:13 Moon at Apogee: 405094 km
27 11:04 Antares 0.5°N of Moon
29 22:47 LAST QUARTER MOON
30 18:23 Jupiter 3.2°N of Moon
Apr 02 16:18 Moon at Ascending Node
05 02:09 Venus 4.7°S of Moon
06 04:55 NEW MOON
07 20:28 Moon at Perigee: 361083 km
09 02:38 Pleiades 1.0°S of Moon
12 06:35 Mars 1.2°S of Moon: Occn.
12 19:32 FIRST QUARTER MOON
12 20:47 Pollux 4.0°N of Moon
15 06:48 Moon at Descending Node
15 14:23 Regulus 0.9°N of Moon
15 19:42 Saturn 2.6°N of Moon
16 08 Mercury at Superior Conjunction
19 23:36 Spica 2.4°N of Moon
20 11:25 FULL MOON
22 05 Lyrid Meteor Shower
23 10:34 Moon at Apogee: 405945 km
23 17:57 Antares 0.3°N of Moon
24 18 Mercury at Perihelion
26 17:24 Mars 4.7°S of Pollux
27 06:11 Jupiter 2.8°N of Moon
28 15:12 LAST QUARTER MOON
29 21:07 Moon at Ascending Node
May 02 21:07 Mercury 2.0°S of Pleiades
03 22:12 Saturn 0.6°N of Regulus
04 19 Eta-Aquarid Meteor Shower
05 13:18 NEW MOON
06 04:22 Moon at Perigee: 357772 km
06 23:17 Mercury 2.5°S of Moon
10 03:51 Pollux 4.3°N of Moon
10 14:44 Mars 0.2°S of Moon: Occn.
12 04:47 FIRST QUARTER MOON
12 07:37 Moon at Descending Node
12 20:14 Regulus 1.1°N of Moon
13 01:08 Saturn 2.8°N of Moon
13 03 Mars at Aphelion: 1.66594 AU
14 05 Mercury at Greatest Elong: 21.8°E
17 05:35 Spica 2.5°N of Moon
20 03:11 FULL MOON
20 15:27 Moon at Apogee: 406404 km
21 00:06 Antares 0.2°N of Moon
24 12:20 Jupiter 2.5°N of Moon
26 22:45 Moon at Ascending Node
28 03:57 LAST QUARTER MOON
Jun 03 14:08 Moon at Perigee: 357251 km
03 20:23 NEW MOON
06 13:04 Pollux 4.5°N of Moon
07 16 Mercury at Inferior Conjunction
08 03:13 Mars 1.1°N of Moon: Occn.
08 10:15 Moon at Descending Node
09 03:37 Regulus 1.4°N of Moon
09 05 Venus at Superior Conjunction
09 10:26 Saturn 3.1°N of Moon
10 16:04 FIRST QUARTER MOON
13 11:37 Spica 2.7°N of Moon
16 18:33 Moon at Apogee: 406229 km
17 06:08 Antares 0.2°N of Moon
18 18:30 FULL MOON
19 15:05 Mercury 1.5°N of Aldebaran
20 13:44 Jupiter 2.4°N of Moon
21 01:00 Summer Solstice
23 00:17 Moon at Ascending Node
26 13:10 LAST QUARTER MOON
30 09:13 Pleiades 1.0°S of Moon
|
Date CET Event
(h:m)
Jul 01 11:15 Mars 0.6°N of Regulus
01 19 Mercury at Greatest Elong: 21.8°W
01 22:22 Moon at Perigee: 359513 km
03 03:19 NEW MOON
04 09 Earth at Aphelion: 1.01675 AU
05 16:53 Moon at Descending Node
06 12:46 Regulus 1.6°N of Moon
06 19:03 Mars 2.6°N of Moon
06 23:27 Saturn 3.5°N of Moon
09 10 Jupiter at Opposition
10 05:35 FIRST QUARTER MOON
10 18:33 Spica 2.9°N of Moon
11 00 Mars 0.6°S of Saturn
11 21 Venus at Perihelion
14 05:13 Moon at Apogee: 405452 km
14 12:40 Antares 0.3°N of Moon
17 13:27 Jupiter 2.6°N of Moon
18 08:59 FULL MOON
20 04:27 Moon at Ascending Node
21 17 Mercury at Perihelion
25 19:42 LAST QUARTER MOON
27 17:08 Pleiades 1.1°S of Moon
27 20 Delta-Aquarid Meteor Shower
29 21 Mercury at Superior Conjunction
30 00:24 Moon at Perigee: 363887 km
31 09:31 Pollux 4.6°N of Moon
Aug 01 11:13 NEW MOON
01 11:21 Total Solar Eclipse; mag=1.039
02 02:21 Moon at Descending Node
02 15:49 Venus 2.3°N of Moon
02 22:42 Regulus 1.7°N of Moon
03 14:42 Saturn 3.8°N of Moon
04 13:14 Mars 4.0°N of Moon
06 01:57 Venus 0.9°N of Regulus
07 02:38 Spica 3.0°N of Moon
08 21:20 FIRST QUARTER MOON
10 20:00 Antares 0.4°N of Moon
10 21:18 Moon at Apogee: 404558 km
12 12 Perseid Meteor Shower
13 15:12 Jupiter 2.8°N of Moon
13 20 Venus 0.2°S of Saturn
15 07 Neptune at Opposition
15 22 Mercury 0.6°S of Saturn
16 11:27 Moon at Ascending Node
16 22:10 Partial Lunar Eclipse; mag=0.808
16 22:16 FULL MOON
20 22 Mercury 0.9°S of Venus
23 23:01 Pleiades 1.1°S of Moon
24 00:50 LAST QUARTER MOON
26 04:44 Moon at Perigee: 368693 km
27 17:45 Pollux 4.6°N of Moon
29 11:30 Moon at Descending Node
30 20:58 NEW MOON
Sep 02 00:16 Mercury 2.9°N of Moon
03 11:20 Spica 3.0°N of Moon
03 17 Mercury at Aphelion
04 03 Saturn in Conjunction with Sun
07 03:56 Antares 0.3°N of Moon
07 04 Mercury 2.5°S of Mars
07 15:04 FIRST QUARTER MOON
07 15:58 Moon at Apogee: 404210 km
09 21:26 Jupiter 2.8°N of Moon
11 05 Mercury at Greatest Elong: 26.9°E
12 03 Venus 0.3°N of Mars
12 17 Mercury 3.6°S of Venus
12 19:24 Moon at Ascending Node
13 03 Uranus at Opposition
15 10:13 FULL MOON
19 04:35 Venus 2.2°N of Spica
20 04:17 Moon at Perigee: 368890 km
20 04:27 Pleiades 1.0°S of Moon
22 06:04 LAST QUARTER MOON
22 16:45 Autumnal Equinox
23 01 Mercury 4.0°S of Mars
23 20:51 Mercury 1.2°S of Spica
23 23:57 Pollux 4.7°N of Moon
25 02:47 Mars 2.1°N of Spica
25 17:20 Moon at Descending Node
26 15:38 Regulus 1.7°N of Moon
27 20:53 Saturn 4.6°N of Moon
29 09:12 NEW MOON
30 19:42 Spica 2.9°N of Moon
Oct 04 11:52 Antares 0.1°N of Moon
05 11:34 Moon at Apogee: 404716 km
06 22 Mercury at Inferior Conjunction
07 08:22 Jupiter 2.5°N of Moon
07 10:04 FIRST QUARTER MOON
10 01:38 Moon at Ascending Node
14 21:03 FULL MOON
17 07:06 Moon at Perigee: 363828 km
17 11:32 Pleiades 0.8°S of Moon
17 17 Mercury at Perihelion
21 05 Orionid Meteor Shower
21 05:24 Pollux 4.9°N of Moon
21 12:55 LAST QUARTER MOON
22 10 Mercury at Greatest Elong: 18.3°W
22 19:00 Moon at Descending Node
23 21:33 Regulus 1.9°N of Moon
26 23:15 Venus 3.1°N of Antares
29 00:14 NEW MOON
31 19:13 Antares 0.1°S of Moon
Nov 01 09:11 Venus 2.6°N of Moon
02 05:55 Moon at Apogee: 405723 km
03 22:54 Jupiter 1.9°N of Moon
05 05 S Taurid Meteor Shower
06 04:34 Moon at Ascending Node
06 05:03 FIRST QUARTER MOON
12 04 N Taurid Meteor Shower
13 07:17 FULL MOON
13 21:16 Pleiades 0.7°S of Moon
14 10:59 Moon at Perigee: 358973 km
17 11 Leonid Meteor Shower
18 19:37 Moon at Descending Node
19 22:31 LAST QUARTER MOON
20 03:17 Regulus 2.2°N of Moon
24 09:03 Spica 3.0°N of Moon
25 18 Mercury at Superior Conjunction
27 17:55 NEW MOON
29 17:55 Moon at Apogee: 406480 km
Dec 01 10 Venus 2.0°S of Jupiter
01 15:45 Jupiter 1.3°N of Moon
01 17:01 Venus 0.8°S of Moon: Occn.
03 05:47 Moon at Ascending Node
05 22:26 FIRST QUARTER MOON
05 23 Mars in Conjunction with Sun
11 08:38 Pleiades 0.8°S of Moon
12 17:37 FULL MOON
12 22:37 Moon at Perigee: 356568 km
14 00 Geminid Meteor Shower
16 00:02 Moon at Descending Node
17 10:47 Regulus 2.4°N of Moon
19 11:29 LAST QUARTER MOON
21 13:04 Winter Solstice
21 14:54 Spica 3.2°N of Moon
22 08 Ursid Meteor Shower
25 07:53 Antares 0.1°S of Moon
26 18:50 Moon at Apogee: 406602 km
27 13:22 NEW MOON
29 05:09 Mercury 0.7°S of Moon: Occn.
29 10:07 Jupiter 0.6°N of Moon: Occn.
30 08:40 Moon at Ascending Node
31 22:03 Venus 3.4°S of Moon
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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
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 (Coordinated Universal Time + 1 hour) . 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 | |||
| Central European Time | |||
| New Moon | First Quarter | Full Moon | Last Quarter |
| Jan 08 12:37 | Jan 15 20:46 | Jan 22 14:35 | Jan 30 06:03 |
| Feb 07 04:44 A | Feb 14 04:34 | Feb 21 04:31 t | Feb 29 03:18 |
| Mar 07 18:14 | Mar 14 11:46 | Mar 21 19:40 | Mar 29 22:47 |
| Apr 06 04:55 | Apr 12 19:32 | Apr 20 11:25 | Apr 28 15:12 |
| May 05 13:18 | May 12 04:47 | May 20 03:11 | May 28 03:57 |
| Jun 03 20:23 | Jun 10 16:04 | Jun 18 18:30 | Jun 26 13:10 |
| Jul 03 03:19 | Jul 10 05:35 | Jul 18 08:59 | Jul 25 19:42 |
| Aug 01 11:13 T | Aug 08 21:20 | Aug 16 22:16 p | Aug 24 00:50 |
| Aug 30 20:58 | Sep 07 15:04 | Sep 15 10:13 | Sep 22 06:04 |
| Sep 29 09:12 | Oct 07 10:04 | Oct 14 21:03 | Oct 21 12:55 |
| Oct 29 00:14 | Nov 06 05:04 | Nov 13 07:17 | Nov 19 22:31 |
| Nov 27 17:55 | Dec 05 22:26 | Dec 12 17:37 | Dec 19 11:29 |
| Dec 27 13:23 | - | - | - |
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
Europe, Africa, and the Middle East
Below are links to sky event almanacs from 2001 to 2010 for six time zones
in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.
Choose a time zone and click on a year to get a sky event almanac for that year.
| Sky Event Almanac - Europe, Africa, & Middle East | |||||||||||||||
| CVT | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | |||||
| GMT | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | |||||
| CET | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | |||||
| EET | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | |||||
| MSK | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | |||||
| GST | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | |||||
- CVT = Cape Verde Time (= UTC - 1 hour)
- GMT = Greenwich Mean Time (= UTC + 0 hour)
- CET = Central European Time (= UTC + 1 hour)
- EET = Eastern European Time (= UTC + 2 hours)
- MSK = Moscow Time (= UTC + 3 hours)
- GST = Gulf Standard Time (= UTC + 4 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
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Astronomy Tools (Astronomy Tools)