2008 Sky Event Almanac
Central Standard Time
The following table gives the date and time of the important astronomical events for the year. The times listed are for Central Standard Time (Coordinated Universal Time − 6 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 | ||||||||
| Central Standard Time | ||||||||
| January - June | July - December | |||||||
Date CST Event
(h:m)
Jan 01 08:51 Spica 2.4°N of Moon
02 18 Earth at Perihelion: 0.98328 AU
03 02:06 Moon at Apogee: 405328 km
04 01 Quadrantid Meteor Shower
05 03:55 Antares 0.5°N of Moon
08 05:37 NEW MOON
11 09:17 Moon at Ascending Node
15 13:46 FIRST QUARTER MOON
18 00:43 Pleiades 1.1°S of Moon
19 02:39 Moon at Perigee: 366436 km
19 17:40 Mars 1.1°S of Moon: Occn.
21 18:00 Pollux 3.8°N of Moon
21 23 Mercury at Greatest Elong: 18.6°E
22 07:35 FULL MOON
24 04:49 Moon at Descending Node
24 08:57 Regulus 0.7°N of Moon
25 00:25 Saturn 3.0°N of Moon
27 12 Mercury at Perihelion
28 17:09 Spica 2.5°N of Moon
29 23:03 LAST QUARTER MOON
30 22:26 Moon at Apogee: 404532 km
Feb 01 07 Venus 0.6°N of Jupiter
01 11:57 Antares 0.6°N of Moon
03 23:52 Jupiter 4.0°N of Moon
04 05:35 Venus 4.3°N of Moon
06 12 Mercury at Inferior Conjunction
06 21:44 NEW MOON
06 21:55 Annular Solar Eclipse; mag=0.965
07 15:39 Moon at Ascending Node
10 20 Neptune in Conjunction with Sun
13 19:07 Moon at Perigee: 370216 km
13 21:34 FIRST QUARTER MOON
14 06:35 Pleiades 1.2°S of Moon
16 01:53 Mars 1.6°S of Moon
18 02:15 Pollux 3.8°N of Moon
20 14:01 Moon at Descending Node
20 18:16 Regulus 0.7°N of Moon
20 21:26 Total Lunar Eclipse; mag=1.106
20 21:31 FULL MOON
21 06:01 Saturn 2.9°N of Moon
24 03 Saturn at Opposition
25 01:47 Spica 2.6°N of Moon
27 02 Mercury 1.1°N of Venus
27 19:27 Moon at Apogee: 404442 km
28 20:16 Antares 0.6°N of Moon
28 20:18 LAST QUARTER MOON
Mar 02 18:56 Jupiter 3.6°N of Moon
03 05 Mercury at Greatest Elong: 27.1°W
05 07:59 Mercury 0.2°N of Moon: Occn.
05 13:20 Venus 0.2°S of Moon: Occn.
06 00:52 Moon at Ascending Node
07 11:14 NEW MOON
08 14 Uranus in Conjunction with Sun
10 15:39 Moon at Perigee: 366302 km
11 12 Mercury at Aphelion
12 12:09 Pleiades 1.2°S of Moon
14 04:46 FIRST QUARTER MOON
14 20:58 Mars 1.7°S of Moon
16 08:16 Pollux 3.8°N of Moon
18 20:53 Moon at Descending Node
19 01:35 Regulus 0.7°N of Moon
19 09:31 Saturn 2.7°N of Moon
19 23:49 Vernal Equinox
21 06 Venus at Aphelion
21 12:40 FULL MOON
23 09:47 Spica 2.5°N of Moon
24 07 Mercury 1.0°S of Venus
26 14:13 Moon at Apogee: 405094 km
27 04:04 Antares 0.5°N of Moon
29 15:47 LAST QUARTER MOON
30 11:23 Jupiter 3.2°N of Moon
Apr 02 09:18 Moon at Ascending Node
04 19:09 Venus 4.7°S of Moon
05 21:55 NEW MOON
07 13:28 Moon at Perigee: 361083 km
08 19:38 Pleiades 1.0°S of Moon
11 23:35 Mars 1.2°S of Moon: Occn.
12 12:32 FIRST QUARTER MOON
12 13:47 Pollux 4.0°N of Moon
14 23:48 Moon at Descending Node
15 07:23 Regulus 0.9°N of Moon
15 12:42 Saturn 2.6°N of Moon
16 01 Mercury at Superior Conjunction
19 16:36 Spica 2.4°N of Moon
20 04:25 FULL MOON
21 22 Lyrid Meteor Shower
23 03:34 Moon at Apogee: 405945 km
23 10:57 Antares 0.3°N of Moon
24 11 Mercury at Perihelion
26 10:24 Mars 4.7°S of Pollux
26 23:11 Jupiter 2.8°N of Moon
28 08:12 LAST QUARTER MOON
29 14:07 Moon at Ascending Node
May 02 14:07 Mercury 2.0°S of Pleiades
03 15:12 Saturn 0.6°N of Regulus
04 12 Eta-Aquarid Meteor Shower
05 06:18 NEW MOON
05 21:22 Moon at Perigee: 357772 km
06 16:17 Mercury 2.5°S of Moon
09 20:51 Pollux 4.3°N of Moon
10 07:44 Mars 0.2°S of Moon: Occn.
11 21:47 FIRST QUARTER MOON
12 00:37 Moon at Descending Node
12 13:14 Regulus 1.1°N of Moon
12 18:08 Saturn 2.8°N of Moon
12 20 Mars at Aphelion: 1.66594 AU
13 22 Mercury at Greatest Elong: 21.8°E
16 22:35 Spica 2.5°N of Moon
19 20:11 FULL MOON
20 08:27 Moon at Apogee: 406404 km
20 17:06 Antares 0.2°N of Moon
24 05:20 Jupiter 2.5°N of Moon
26 15:45 Moon at Ascending Node
27 20:57 LAST QUARTER MOON
Jun 03 07:08 Moon at Perigee: 357251 km
03 13:23 NEW MOON
06 06:04 Pollux 4.5°N of Moon
07 09 Mercury at Inferior Conjunction
07 20:13 Mars 1.1°N of Moon: Occn.
08 03:15 Moon at Descending Node
08 20:37 Regulus 1.4°N of Moon
08 22 Venus at Superior Conjunction
09 03:26 Saturn 3.1°N of Moon
10 09:04 FIRST QUARTER MOON
13 04:37 Spica 2.7°N of Moon
16 11:33 Moon at Apogee: 406229 km
16 23:08 Antares 0.2°N of Moon
18 11:30 FULL MOON
19 08:05 Mercury 1.5°N of Aldebaran
20 06:44 Jupiter 2.4°N of Moon
20 18:00 Summer Solstice
22 17:17 Moon at Ascending Node
26 06:10 LAST QUARTER MOON
30 02:13 Pleiades 1.0°S of Moon
|
Date CST Event
(h:m)
Jul 01 04:15 Mars 0.6°N of Regulus
01 12 Mercury at Greatest Elong: 21.8°W
01 15:22 Moon at Perigee: 359513 km
02 20:19 NEW MOON
04 02 Earth at Aphelion: 1.01675 AU
05 09:53 Moon at Descending Node
06 05:46 Regulus 1.6°N of Moon
06 12:03 Mars 2.6°N of Moon
06 16:27 Saturn 3.5°N of Moon
09 03 Jupiter at Opposition
09 22:35 FIRST QUARTER MOON
10 11:33 Spica 2.9°N of Moon
10 17 Mars 0.6°S of Saturn
11 14 Venus at Perihelion
13 22:13 Moon at Apogee: 405452 km
14 05:40 Antares 0.3°N of Moon
17 06:27 Jupiter 2.6°N of Moon
18 01:59 FULL MOON
19 21:27 Moon at Ascending Node
21 10 Mercury at Perihelion
25 12:42 LAST QUARTER MOON
27 10:08 Pleiades 1.1°S of Moon
27 13 Delta-Aquarid Meteor Shower
29 14 Mercury at Superior Conjunction
29 17:24 Moon at Perigee: 363887 km
31 02:31 Pollux 4.6°N of Moon
Aug 01 04:13 NEW MOON
01 04:21 Total Solar Eclipse; mag=1.039
01 19:21 Moon at Descending Node
02 08:49 Venus 2.3°N of Moon
02 15:42 Regulus 1.7°N of Moon
03 07:42 Saturn 3.8°N of Moon
04 06:14 Mars 4.0°N of Moon
05 18:57 Venus 0.9°N of Regulus
06 19:38 Spica 3.0°N of Moon
08 14:20 FIRST QUARTER MOON
10 13:00 Antares 0.4°N of Moon
10 14:18 Moon at Apogee: 404558 km
12 05 Perseid Meteor Shower
13 08:12 Jupiter 2.8°N of Moon
13 13 Venus 0.2°S of Saturn
15 00 Neptune at Opposition
15 15 Mercury 0.6°S of Saturn
16 04:27 Moon at Ascending Node
16 15:10 Partial Lunar Eclipse; mag=0.808
16 15:16 FULL MOON
20 15 Mercury 0.9°S of Venus
23 16:01 Pleiades 1.1°S of Moon
23 17:50 LAST QUARTER MOON
25 21:44 Moon at Perigee: 368693 km
27 10:45 Pollux 4.6°N of Moon
29 04:30 Moon at Descending Node
30 13:58 NEW MOON
Sep 01 17:16 Mercury 2.9°N of Moon
03 04:20 Spica 3.0°N of Moon
03 10 Mercury at Aphelion
03 20 Saturn in Conjunction with Sun
06 20:56 Antares 0.3°N of Moon
06 21 Mercury 2.5°S of Mars
07 08:04 FIRST QUARTER MOON
07 08:58 Moon at Apogee: 404210 km
09 14:26 Jupiter 2.8°N of Moon
10 22 Mercury at Greatest Elong: 26.9°E
11 20 Venus 0.3°N of Mars
12 10 Mercury 3.6°S of Venus
12 12:24 Moon at Ascending Node
12 20 Uranus at Opposition
15 03:13 FULL MOON
18 21:35 Venus 2.2°N of Spica
19 21:17 Moon at Perigee: 368890 km
19 21:27 Pleiades 1.0°S of Moon
21 23:04 LAST QUARTER MOON
22 09:45 Autumnal Equinox
22 18 Mercury 4.0°S of Mars
23 13:51 Mercury 1.2°S of Spica
23 16:57 Pollux 4.7°N of Moon
24 19:47 Mars 2.1°N of Spica
25 10:20 Moon at Descending Node
26 08:38 Regulus 1.7°N of Moon
27 13:53 Saturn 4.6°N of Moon
29 02:12 NEW MOON
30 12:42 Spica 2.9°N of Moon
Oct 04 04:52 Antares 0.1°N of Moon
05 04:34 Moon at Apogee: 404716 km
06 15 Mercury at Inferior Conjunction
07 01:22 Jupiter 2.5°N of Moon
07 03:04 FIRST QUARTER MOON
09 18:38 Moon at Ascending Node
14 14:03 FULL MOON
17 00:06 Moon at Perigee: 363828 km
17 04:32 Pleiades 0.8°S of Moon
17 10 Mercury at Perihelion
20 22 Orionid Meteor Shower
20 22:24 Pollux 4.9°N of Moon
21 05:55 LAST QUARTER MOON
22 03 Mercury at Greatest Elong: 18.3°W
22 12:00 Moon at Descending Node
23 14:33 Regulus 1.9°N of Moon
26 16:15 Venus 3.1°N of Antares
28 17:14 NEW MOON
31 12:13 Antares 0.1°S of Moon
Nov 01 02:11 Venus 2.6°N of Moon
01 22:55 Moon at Apogee: 405723 km
03 15:54 Jupiter 1.9°N of Moon
04 22 S Taurid Meteor Shower
05 21:34 Moon at Ascending Node
05 22:03 FIRST QUARTER MOON
11 21 N Taurid Meteor Shower
13 00:17 FULL MOON
13 14:16 Pleiades 0.7°S of Moon
14 03:59 Moon at Perigee: 358973 km
17 04 Leonid Meteor Shower
18 12:37 Moon at Descending Node
19 15:31 LAST QUARTER MOON
19 20:17 Regulus 2.2°N of Moon
24 02:03 Spica 3.0°N of Moon
25 11 Mercury at Superior Conjunction
27 10:55 NEW MOON
29 10:55 Moon at Apogee: 406480 km
Dec 01 03 Venus 2.0°S of Jupiter
01 08:45 Jupiter 1.3°N of Moon
01 10:01 Venus 0.8°S of Moon: Occn.
02 22:47 Moon at Ascending Node
05 15:26 FIRST QUARTER MOON
05 16 Mars in Conjunction with Sun
11 01:38 Pleiades 0.8°S of Moon
12 10:37 FULL MOON
12 15:37 Moon at Perigee: 356568 km
13 17 Geminid Meteor Shower
15 17:02 Moon at Descending Node
17 03:47 Regulus 2.4°N of Moon
19 04:29 LAST QUARTER MOON
21 06:04 Winter Solstice
21 07:54 Spica 3.2°N of Moon
22 01 Ursid Meteor Shower
25 00:53 Antares 0.1°S of Moon
26 11:50 Moon at Apogee: 406602 km
27 06:22 NEW MOON
28 22:09 Mercury 0.7°S of Moon: Occn.
29 03:07 Jupiter 0.6°N of Moon: Occn.
30 01:40 Moon at Ascending Node
31 15:03 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 Standard Time
The following table gives the date and time of the Moon's phases for the year. The times listed are for Central Standard Time (Coordinated Universal Time − 6 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 | |||
| Central Standard Time | |||
| New Moon | First Quarter | Full Moon | Last Quarter |
| Jan 08 05:37 | Jan 15 13:46 | Jan 22 07:35 | Jan 29 23:03 |
| Feb 06 21:44 A | Feb 13 21:34 | Feb 20 21:31 t | Feb 28 20:18 |
| Mar 07 11:14 | Mar 14 04:46 | Mar 21 12:40 | Mar 29 15:47 |
| Apr 05 21:55 | Apr 12 12:32 | Apr 20 04:25 | Apr 28 08:12 |
| May 05 06:18 | May 11 21:47 | May 19 20:11 | May 27 20:57 |
| Jun 03 13:23 | Jun 10 09:04 | Jun 18 11:30 | Jun 26 06:10 |
| Jul 02 20:19 | Jul 09 22:35 | Jul 18 01:59 | Jul 25 12:42 |
| Aug 01 04:13 T | Aug 08 14:20 | Aug 16 15:16 p | Aug 23 17:50 |
| Aug 30 13:58 | Sep 07 08:04 | Sep 15 03:13 | Sep 21 23:04 |
| Sep 29 02:12 | Oct 07 03:04 | Oct 14 14:03 | Oct 21 05:55 |
| Oct 28 17:14 | Nov 05 22:04 | Nov 13 00:17 | Nov 19 15:31 |
| Nov 27 10:55 | Dec 05 15:26 | Dec 12 10:37 | Dec 19 04:29 |
| Dec 27 06:23 | - | - | - |
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)
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Weather Forecast for Astronomy (Clear Outside)
GOES-East Images (NOAA-GOES)
Astronomy Tools (Astronomy Tools)