2008 Sky Event Almanac
Eastern Standard Time
The following table gives the date and time of the important astronomical events for the year. The times listed are for Eastern Standard Time (Coordinated Universal Time − 5 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 | ||||||||
| Eastern Standard Time | ||||||||
| January - June | July - December | |||||||
Date EST Event
(h:m)
Jan 01 09:51 Spica 2.4°N of Moon
02 19 Earth at Perihelion: 0.98328 AU
03 03:06 Moon at Apogee: 405328 km
04 02 Quadrantid Meteor Shower
05 04:55 Antares 0.5°N of Moon
08 06:37 NEW MOON
11 10:17 Moon at Ascending Node
15 14:46 FIRST QUARTER MOON
18 01:43 Pleiades 1.1°S of Moon
19 03:39 Moon at Perigee: 366436 km
19 18:40 Mars 1.1°S of Moon: Occn.
21 19:00 Pollux 3.8°N of Moon
22 00 Mercury at Greatest Elong: 18.6°E
22 08:35 FULL MOON
24 05:49 Moon at Descending Node
24 09:57 Regulus 0.7°N of Moon
25 01:25 Saturn 3.0°N of Moon
27 13 Mercury at Perihelion
28 18:09 Spica 2.5°N of Moon
30 00:03 LAST QUARTER MOON
30 23:26 Moon at Apogee: 404532 km
Feb 01 08 Venus 0.6°N of Jupiter
01 12:57 Antares 0.6°N of Moon
04 00:52 Jupiter 4.0°N of Moon
04 06:35 Venus 4.3°N of Moon
06 13 Mercury at Inferior Conjunction
06 22:44 NEW MOON
06 22:55 Annular Solar Eclipse; mag=0.965
07 16:39 Moon at Ascending Node
10 21 Neptune in Conjunction with Sun
13 20:07 Moon at Perigee: 370216 km
13 22:34 FIRST QUARTER MOON
14 07:35 Pleiades 1.2°S of Moon
16 02:53 Mars 1.6°S of Moon
18 03:15 Pollux 3.8°N of Moon
20 15:01 Moon at Descending Node
20 19:16 Regulus 0.7°N of Moon
20 22:26 Total Lunar Eclipse; mag=1.106
20 22:31 FULL MOON
21 07:01 Saturn 2.9°N of Moon
24 04 Saturn at Opposition
25 02:47 Spica 2.6°N of Moon
27 03 Mercury 1.1°N of Venus
27 20:27 Moon at Apogee: 404442 km
28 21:16 Antares 0.6°N of Moon
28 21:18 LAST QUARTER MOON
Mar 02 19:56 Jupiter 3.6°N of Moon
03 06 Mercury at Greatest Elong: 27.1°W
05 08:59 Mercury 0.2°N of Moon: Occn.
05 14:20 Venus 0.2°S of Moon: Occn.
06 01:52 Moon at Ascending Node
07 12:14 NEW MOON
08 15 Uranus in Conjunction with Sun
10 16:39 Moon at Perigee: 366302 km
11 13 Mercury at Aphelion
12 13:09 Pleiades 1.2°S of Moon
14 05:46 FIRST QUARTER MOON
14 21:58 Mars 1.7°S of Moon
16 09:16 Pollux 3.8°N of Moon
18 21:53 Moon at Descending Node
19 02:35 Regulus 0.7°N of Moon
19 10:31 Saturn 2.7°N of Moon
20 00:49 Vernal Equinox
21 07 Venus at Aphelion
21 13:40 FULL MOON
23 10:47 Spica 2.5°N of Moon
24 08 Mercury 1.0°S of Venus
26 15:13 Moon at Apogee: 405094 km
27 05:04 Antares 0.5°N of Moon
29 16:47 LAST QUARTER MOON
30 12:23 Jupiter 3.2°N of Moon
Apr 02 10:18 Moon at Ascending Node
04 20:09 Venus 4.7°S of Moon
05 22:55 NEW MOON
07 14:28 Moon at Perigee: 361083 km
08 20:38 Pleiades 1.0°S of Moon
12 00:35 Mars 1.2°S of Moon: Occn.
12 13:32 FIRST QUARTER MOON
12 14:47 Pollux 4.0°N of Moon
15 00:48 Moon at Descending Node
15 08:23 Regulus 0.9°N of Moon
15 13:42 Saturn 2.6°N of Moon
16 02 Mercury at Superior Conjunction
19 17:36 Spica 2.4°N of Moon
20 05:25 FULL MOON
21 23 Lyrid Meteor Shower
23 04:34 Moon at Apogee: 405945 km
23 11:57 Antares 0.3°N of Moon
24 12 Mercury at Perihelion
26 11:24 Mars 4.7°S of Pollux
27 00:11 Jupiter 2.8°N of Moon
28 09:12 LAST QUARTER MOON
29 15:07 Moon at Ascending Node
May 02 15:07 Mercury 2.0°S of Pleiades
03 16:12 Saturn 0.6°N of Regulus
04 13 Eta-Aquarid Meteor Shower
05 07:18 NEW MOON
05 22:22 Moon at Perigee: 357772 km
06 17:17 Mercury 2.5°S of Moon
09 21:51 Pollux 4.3°N of Moon
10 08:44 Mars 0.2°S of Moon: Occn.
11 22:47 FIRST QUARTER MOON
12 01:37 Moon at Descending Node
12 14:14 Regulus 1.1°N of Moon
12 19:08 Saturn 2.8°N of Moon
12 21 Mars at Aphelion: 1.66594 AU
13 23 Mercury at Greatest Elong: 21.8°E
16 23:35 Spica 2.5°N of Moon
19 21:11 FULL MOON
20 09:27 Moon at Apogee: 406404 km
20 18:06 Antares 0.2°N of Moon
24 06:20 Jupiter 2.5°N of Moon
26 16:45 Moon at Ascending Node
27 21:57 LAST QUARTER MOON
Jun 03 08:08 Moon at Perigee: 357251 km
03 14:23 NEW MOON
06 07:04 Pollux 4.5°N of Moon
07 10 Mercury at Inferior Conjunction
07 21:13 Mars 1.1°N of Moon: Occn.
08 04:15 Moon at Descending Node
08 21:37 Regulus 1.4°N of Moon
08 23 Venus at Superior Conjunction
09 04:26 Saturn 3.1°N of Moon
10 10:04 FIRST QUARTER MOON
13 05:37 Spica 2.7°N of Moon
16 12:33 Moon at Apogee: 406229 km
17 00:08 Antares 0.2°N of Moon
18 12:30 FULL MOON
19 09:05 Mercury 1.5°N of Aldebaran
20 07:44 Jupiter 2.4°N of Moon
20 19:00 Summer Solstice
22 18:17 Moon at Ascending Node
26 07:10 LAST QUARTER MOON
30 03:13 Pleiades 1.0°S of Moon
|
Date EST Event
(h:m)
Jul 01 05:15 Mars 0.6°N of Regulus
01 13 Mercury at Greatest Elong: 21.8°W
01 16:22 Moon at Perigee: 359513 km
02 21:19 NEW MOON
04 03 Earth at Aphelion: 1.01675 AU
05 10:53 Moon at Descending Node
06 06:46 Regulus 1.6°N of Moon
06 13:03 Mars 2.6°N of Moon
06 17:27 Saturn 3.5°N of Moon
09 04 Jupiter at Opposition
09 23:35 FIRST QUARTER MOON
10 12:33 Spica 2.9°N of Moon
10 18 Mars 0.6°S of Saturn
11 15 Venus at Perihelion
13 23:13 Moon at Apogee: 405452 km
14 06:40 Antares 0.3°N of Moon
17 07:27 Jupiter 2.6°N of Moon
18 02:59 FULL MOON
19 22:27 Moon at Ascending Node
21 11 Mercury at Perihelion
25 13:42 LAST QUARTER MOON
27 11:08 Pleiades 1.1°S of Moon
27 14 Delta-Aquarid Meteor Shower
29 15 Mercury at Superior Conjunction
29 18:24 Moon at Perigee: 363887 km
31 03:31 Pollux 4.6°N of Moon
Aug 01 05:13 NEW MOON
01 05:21 Total Solar Eclipse; mag=1.039
01 20:21 Moon at Descending Node
02 09:49 Venus 2.3°N of Moon
02 16:42 Regulus 1.7°N of Moon
03 08:42 Saturn 3.8°N of Moon
04 07:14 Mars 4.0°N of Moon
05 19:57 Venus 0.9°N of Regulus
06 20:38 Spica 3.0°N of Moon
08 15:20 FIRST QUARTER MOON
10 14:00 Antares 0.4°N of Moon
10 15:18 Moon at Apogee: 404558 km
12 06 Perseid Meteor Shower
13 09:12 Jupiter 2.8°N of Moon
13 14 Venus 0.2°S of Saturn
15 01 Neptune at Opposition
15 16 Mercury 0.6°S of Saturn
16 05:27 Moon at Ascending Node
16 16:10 Partial Lunar Eclipse; mag=0.808
16 16:16 FULL MOON
20 16 Mercury 0.9°S of Venus
23 17:01 Pleiades 1.1°S of Moon
23 18:50 LAST QUARTER MOON
25 22:44 Moon at Perigee: 368693 km
27 11:45 Pollux 4.6°N of Moon
29 05:30 Moon at Descending Node
30 14:58 NEW MOON
Sep 01 18:16 Mercury 2.9°N of Moon
03 05:20 Spica 3.0°N of Moon
03 11 Mercury at Aphelion
03 21 Saturn in Conjunction with Sun
06 21:56 Antares 0.3°N of Moon
06 22 Mercury 2.5°S of Mars
07 09:04 FIRST QUARTER MOON
07 09:58 Moon at Apogee: 404210 km
09 15:26 Jupiter 2.8°N of Moon
10 23 Mercury at Greatest Elong: 26.9°E
11 21 Venus 0.3°N of Mars
12 11 Mercury 3.6°S of Venus
12 13:24 Moon at Ascending Node
12 21 Uranus at Opposition
15 04:13 FULL MOON
18 22:35 Venus 2.2°N of Spica
19 22:17 Moon at Perigee: 368890 km
19 22:27 Pleiades 1.0°S of Moon
22 00:04 LAST QUARTER MOON
22 10:45 Autumnal Equinox
22 19 Mercury 4.0°S of Mars
23 14:51 Mercury 1.2°S of Spica
23 17:57 Pollux 4.7°N of Moon
24 20:47 Mars 2.1°N of Spica
25 11:20 Moon at Descending Node
26 09:38 Regulus 1.7°N of Moon
27 14:53 Saturn 4.6°N of Moon
29 03:12 NEW MOON
30 13:42 Spica 2.9°N of Moon
Oct 04 05:52 Antares 0.1°N of Moon
05 05:34 Moon at Apogee: 404716 km
06 16 Mercury at Inferior Conjunction
07 02:22 Jupiter 2.5°N of Moon
07 04:04 FIRST QUARTER MOON
09 19:38 Moon at Ascending Node
14 15:03 FULL MOON
17 01:06 Moon at Perigee: 363828 km
17 05:32 Pleiades 0.8°S of Moon
17 11 Mercury at Perihelion
20 23 Orionid Meteor Shower
20 23:24 Pollux 4.9°N of Moon
21 06:55 LAST QUARTER MOON
22 04 Mercury at Greatest Elong: 18.3°W
22 13:00 Moon at Descending Node
23 15:33 Regulus 1.9°N of Moon
26 17:15 Venus 3.1°N of Antares
28 18:14 NEW MOON
31 13:13 Antares 0.1°S of Moon
Nov 01 03:11 Venus 2.6°N of Moon
01 23:55 Moon at Apogee: 405723 km
03 16:54 Jupiter 1.9°N of Moon
04 23 S Taurid Meteor Shower
05 22:34 Moon at Ascending Node
05 23:03 FIRST QUARTER MOON
11 22 N Taurid Meteor Shower
13 01:17 FULL MOON
13 15:16 Pleiades 0.7°S of Moon
14 04:59 Moon at Perigee: 358973 km
17 05 Leonid Meteor Shower
18 13:37 Moon at Descending Node
19 16:31 LAST QUARTER MOON
19 21:17 Regulus 2.2°N of Moon
24 03:03 Spica 3.0°N of Moon
25 12 Mercury at Superior Conjunction
27 11:55 NEW MOON
29 11:55 Moon at Apogee: 406480 km
Dec 01 04 Venus 2.0°S of Jupiter
01 09:45 Jupiter 1.3°N of Moon
01 11:01 Venus 0.8°S of Moon: Occn.
02 23:47 Moon at Ascending Node
05 16:26 FIRST QUARTER MOON
05 17 Mars in Conjunction with Sun
11 02:38 Pleiades 0.8°S of Moon
12 11:37 FULL MOON
12 16:37 Moon at Perigee: 356568 km
13 18 Geminid Meteor Shower
15 18:02 Moon at Descending Node
17 04:47 Regulus 2.4°N of Moon
19 05:29 LAST QUARTER MOON
21 07:04 Winter Solstice
21 08:54 Spica 3.2°N of Moon
22 02 Ursid Meteor Shower
25 01:53 Antares 0.1°S of Moon
26 12:50 Moon at Apogee: 406602 km
27 07:22 NEW MOON
28 23:09 Mercury 0.7°S of Moon: Occn.
29 04:07 Jupiter 0.6°N of Moon: Occn.
30 02:40 Moon at Ascending Node
31 16:03 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
Eastern Standard Time
The following table gives the date and time of the Moon's phases for the year. The times listed are for Eastern Standard Time (Coordinated Universal Time − 5 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 | |||
| Eastern Standard Time | |||
| New Moon | First Quarter | Full Moon | Last Quarter |
| Jan 08 06:37 | Jan 15 14:46 | Jan 22 08:35 | Jan 30 00:03 |
| Feb 06 22:44 A | Feb 13 22:34 | Feb 20 22:31 t | Feb 28 21:18 |
| Mar 07 12:14 | Mar 14 05:46 | Mar 21 13:40 | Mar 29 16:47 |
| Apr 05 22:55 | Apr 12 13:32 | Apr 20 05:25 | Apr 28 09:12 |
| May 05 07:18 | May 11 22:47 | May 19 21:11 | May 27 21:57 |
| Jun 03 14:23 | Jun 10 10:04 | Jun 18 12:30 | Jun 26 07:10 |
| Jul 02 21:19 | Jul 09 23:35 | Jul 18 02:59 | Jul 25 13:42 |
| Aug 01 05:13 T | Aug 08 15:20 | Aug 16 16:16 p | Aug 23 18:50 |
| Aug 30 14:58 | Sep 07 09:04 | Sep 15 04:13 | Sep 22 00:04 |
| Sep 29 03:12 | Oct 07 04:04 | Oct 14 15:03 | Oct 21 06:55 |
| Oct 28 18:14 | Nov 05 23:04 | Nov 13 01:17 | Nov 19 16:31 |
| Nov 27 11:55 | Dec 05 16:26 | Dec 12 11:37 | Dec 19 05:29 |
| Dec 27 07:23 | - | - | - |
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
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