2008 Sky Event Almanac
New Zealand Standard Time
The following table gives the date and time of the important astronomical events for the year. The times listed are for New Zealand Standard Time (Coordinated Universal Time + 12 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 | ||||||||
| New Zealand Standard Time | ||||||||
| January - June | July - December | |||||||
Date NZST Even
(h:m)
Jan 02 02:51 Spica 2.4°N of Moon
03 12 Earth at Perihelion: 0.98328 AU
03 20:06 Moon at Apogee: 405328 km
04 19 Quadrantid Meteor Shower
05 21:55 Antares 0.5°N of Moon
08 23:37 NEW MOON
12 03:17 Moon at Ascending Node
16 07:46 FIRST QUARTER MOON
18 18:43 Pleiades 1.1°S of Moon
19 20:39 Moon at Perigee: 366436 km
20 11:40 Mars 1.1°S of Moon: Occn.
22 12:00 Pollux 3.8°N of Moon
22 17 Mercury at Greatest Elong: 18.6°E
23 01:35 FULL MOON
24 22:49 Moon at Descending Node
25 02:57 Regulus 0.7°N of Moon
25 18:25 Saturn 3.0°N of Moon
28 06 Mercury at Perihelion
29 11:09 Spica 2.5°N of Moon
30 17:03 LAST QUARTER MOON
31 16:26 Moon at Apogee: 404532 km
Feb 02 01 Venus 0.6°N of Jupiter
02 05:57 Antares 0.6°N of Moon
04 17:52 Jupiter 4.0°N of Moon
04 23:35 Venus 4.3°N of Moon
07 06 Mercury at Inferior Conjunction
07 15:44 NEW MOON
07 15:55 Annular Solar Eclipse; mag=0.965
08 09:39 Moon at Ascending Node
11 14 Neptune in Conjunction with Sun
14 13:07 Moon at Perigee: 370216 km
14 15:34 FIRST QUARTER MOON
15 00:35 Pleiades 1.2°S of Moon
16 19:53 Mars 1.6°S of Moon
18 20:15 Pollux 3.8°N of Moon
21 08:01 Moon at Descending Node
21 12:16 Regulus 0.7°N of Moon
21 15:26 Total Lunar Eclipse; mag=1.106
21 15:31 FULL MOON
22 00:01 Saturn 2.9°N of Moon
24 21 Saturn at Opposition
25 19:47 Spica 2.6°N of Moon
27 20 Mercury 1.1°N of Venus
28 13:27 Moon at Apogee: 404442 km
29 14:16 Antares 0.6°N of Moon
29 14:18 LAST QUARTER MOON
Mar 03 12:56 Jupiter 3.6°N of Moon
03 23 Mercury at Greatest Elong: 27.1°W
06 01:59 Mercury 0.2°N of Moon: Occn.
06 07:20 Venus 0.2°S of Moon: Occn.
06 18:52 Moon at Ascending Node
08 05:14 NEW MOON
09 08 Uranus in Conjunction with Sun
11 09:39 Moon at Perigee: 366302 km
12 06 Mercury at Aphelion
13 06:09 Pleiades 1.2°S of Moon
14 22:46 FIRST QUARTER MOON
15 14:58 Mars 1.7°S of Moon
17 02:16 Pollux 3.8°N of Moon
19 14:53 Moon at Descending Node
19 19:35 Regulus 0.7°N of Moon
20 03:31 Saturn 2.7°N of Moon
20 17:49 Vernal Equinox
22 00 Venus at Aphelion
22 06:40 FULL MOON
24 03:47 Spica 2.5°N of Moon
25 01 Mercury 1.0°S of Venus
27 08:13 Moon at Apogee: 405094 km
27 22:04 Antares 0.5°N of Moon
30 09:47 LAST QUARTER MOON
31 05:23 Jupiter 3.2°N of Moon
Apr 03 03:18 Moon at Ascending Node
05 13:09 Venus 4.7°S of Moon
06 15:55 NEW MOON
08 07:28 Moon at Perigee: 361083 km
09 13:38 Pleiades 1.0°S of Moon
12 17:35 Mars 1.2°S of Moon: Occn.
13 06:32 FIRST QUARTER MOON
13 07:47 Pollux 4.0°N of Moon
15 17:48 Moon at Descending Node
16 01:23 Regulus 0.9°N of Moon
16 06:42 Saturn 2.6°N of Moon
16 19 Mercury at Superior Conjunction
20 10:36 Spica 2.4°N of Moon
20 22:25 FULL MOON
22 16 Lyrid Meteor Shower
23 21:34 Moon at Apogee: 405945 km
24 04:57 Antares 0.3°N of Moon
25 05 Mercury at Perihelion
27 04:24 Mars 4.7°S of Pollux
27 17:11 Jupiter 2.8°N of Moon
29 02:12 LAST QUARTER MOON
30 08:07 Moon at Ascending Node
May 03 08:07 Mercury 2.0°S of Pleiades
04 09:12 Saturn 0.6°N of Regulus
05 06 Eta-Aquarid Meteor Shower
06 00:18 NEW MOON
06 15:22 Moon at Perigee: 357772 km
07 10:17 Mercury 2.5°S of Moon
10 14:51 Pollux 4.3°N of Moon
11 01:44 Mars 0.2°S of Moon: Occn.
12 15:47 FIRST QUARTER MOON
12 18:37 Moon at Descending Node
13 07:14 Regulus 1.1°N of Moon
13 12:08 Saturn 2.8°N of Moon
13 14 Mars at Aphelion: 1.66594 AU
14 16 Mercury at Greatest Elong: 21.8°E
17 16:35 Spica 2.5°N of Moon
20 14:11 FULL MOON
21 02:27 Moon at Apogee: 406404 km
21 11:06 Antares 0.2°N of Moon
24 23:20 Jupiter 2.5°N of Moon
27 09:45 Moon at Ascending Node
28 14:57 LAST QUARTER MOON
Jun 04 01:08 Moon at Perigee: 357251 km
04 07:23 NEW MOON
07 00:04 Pollux 4.5°N of Moon
08 03 Mercury at Inferior Conjunction
08 14:13 Mars 1.1°N of Moon: Occn.
08 21:15 Moon at Descending Node
09 14:37 Regulus 1.4°N of Moon
09 16 Venus at Superior Conjunction
09 21:26 Saturn 3.1°N of Moon
11 03:04 FIRST QUARTER MOON
13 22:37 Spica 2.7°N of Moon
17 05:33 Moon at Apogee: 406229 km
17 17:08 Antares 0.2°N of Moon
19 05:30 FULL MOON
20 02:05 Mercury 1.5°N of Aldebaran
21 00:44 Jupiter 2.4°N of Moon
21 12:00 Summer Solstice
23 11:17 Moon at Ascending Node
27 00:10 LAST QUARTER MOON
30 20:13 Pleiades 1.0°S of Moon
|
Date NZST Even
(h:m)
Jul 01 22:15 Mars 0.6°N of Regulus
02 06 Mercury at Greatest Elong: 21.8°W
02 09:22 Moon at Perigee: 359513 km
03 14:19 NEW MOON
04 20 Earth at Aphelion: 1.01675 AU
06 03:53 Moon at Descending Node
06 23:46 Regulus 1.6°N of Moon
07 06:03 Mars 2.6°N of Moon
07 10:27 Saturn 3.5°N of Moon
09 21 Jupiter at Opposition
10 16:35 FIRST QUARTER MOON
11 05:33 Spica 2.9°N of Moon
11 11 Mars 0.6°S of Saturn
12 08 Venus at Perihelion
14 16:13 Moon at Apogee: 405452 km
14 23:40 Antares 0.3°N of Moon
18 00:27 Jupiter 2.6°N of Moon
18 19:59 FULL MOON
20 15:27 Moon at Ascending Node
22 04 Mercury at Perihelion
26 06:42 LAST QUARTER MOON
28 04:08 Pleiades 1.1°S of Moon
28 07 Delta-Aquarid Meteor Shower
30 08 Mercury at Superior Conjunction
30 11:24 Moon at Perigee: 363887 km
31 20:31 Pollux 4.6°N of Moon
Aug 01 22:13 NEW MOON
01 22:21 Total Solar Eclipse; mag=1.039
02 13:21 Moon at Descending Node
03 02:49 Venus 2.3°N of Moon
03 09:42 Regulus 1.7°N of Moon
04 01:42 Saturn 3.8°N of Moon
05 00:14 Mars 4.0°N of Moon
06 12:57 Venus 0.9°N of Regulus
07 13:38 Spica 3.0°N of Moon
09 08:20 FIRST QUARTER MOON
11 07:00 Antares 0.4°N of Moon
11 08:18 Moon at Apogee: 404558 km
12 23 Perseid Meteor Shower
14 02:12 Jupiter 2.8°N of Moon
14 07 Venus 0.2°S of Saturn
15 18 Neptune at Opposition
16 09 Mercury 0.6°S of Saturn
16 22:27 Moon at Ascending Node
17 09:10 Partial Lunar Eclipse; mag=0.808
17 09:16 FULL MOON
21 09 Mercury 0.9°S of Venus
24 10:01 Pleiades 1.1°S of Moon
24 11:50 LAST QUARTER MOON
26 15:44 Moon at Perigee: 368693 km
28 04:45 Pollux 4.6°N of Moon
29 22:30 Moon at Descending Node
31 07:58 NEW MOON
Sep 02 11:16 Mercury 2.9°N of Moon
03 22:20 Spica 3.0°N of Moon
04 04 Mercury at Aphelion
04 14 Saturn in Conjunction with Sun
07 14:56 Antares 0.3°N of Moon
07 15 Mercury 2.5°S of Mars
08 02:04 FIRST QUARTER MOON
08 02:58 Moon at Apogee: 404210 km
10 08:26 Jupiter 2.8°N of Moon
11 16 Mercury at Greatest Elong: 26.9°E
12 14 Venus 0.3°N of Mars
13 04 Mercury 3.6°S of Venus
13 06:24 Moon at Ascending Node
13 14 Uranus at Opposition
15 21:13 FULL MOON
19 15:35 Venus 2.2°N of Spica
20 15:17 Moon at Perigee: 368890 km
20 15:27 Pleiades 1.0°S of Moon
22 17:04 LAST QUARTER MOON
23 03:45 Autumnal Equinox
23 12 Mercury 4.0°S of Mars
24 07:51 Mercury 1.2°S of Spica
24 10:57 Pollux 4.7°N of Moon
25 13:47 Mars 2.1°N of Spica
26 04:20 Moon at Descending Node
27 02:38 Regulus 1.7°N of Moon
28 07:53 Saturn 4.6°N of Moon
29 20:12 NEW MOON
Oct 01 06:42 Spica 2.9°N of Moon
04 22:52 Antares 0.1°N of Moon
05 22:34 Moon at Apogee: 404716 km
07 09 Mercury at Inferior Conjunction
07 19:22 Jupiter 2.5°N of Moon
07 21:04 FIRST QUARTER MOON
10 12:38 Moon at Ascending Node
15 08:03 FULL MOON
17 18:06 Moon at Perigee: 363828 km
17 22:32 Pleiades 0.8°S of Moon
18 04 Mercury at Perihelion
21 16 Orionid Meteor Shower
21 16:24 Pollux 4.9°N of Moon
21 23:55 LAST QUARTER MOON
22 21 Mercury at Greatest Elong: 18.3°W
23 06:00 Moon at Descending Node
24 08:33 Regulus 1.9°N of Moon
27 10:15 Venus 3.1°N of Antares
29 11:14 NEW MOON
Nov 01 06:13 Antares 0.1°S of Moon
01 20:11 Venus 2.6°N of Moon
02 16:55 Moon at Apogee: 405723 km
04 09:54 Jupiter 1.9°N of Moon
05 16 S Taurid Meteor Shower
06 15:34 Moon at Ascending Node
06 16:03 FIRST QUARTER MOON
12 15 N Taurid Meteor Shower
13 18:17 FULL MOON
14 08:16 Pleiades 0.7°S of Moon
14 21:59 Moon at Perigee: 358973 km
17 22 Leonid Meteor Shower
19 06:37 Moon at Descending Node
20 09:31 LAST QUARTER MOON
20 14:17 Regulus 2.2°N of Moon
24 20:03 Spica 3.0°N of Moon
26 05 Mercury at Superior Conjunction
28 04:55 NEW MOON
30 04:55 Moon at Apogee: 406480 km
Dec 01 21 Venus 2.0°S of Jupiter
02 02:45 Jupiter 1.3°N of Moon
02 04:01 Venus 0.8°S of Moon: Occn.
03 16:47 Moon at Ascending Node
06 09:26 FIRST QUARTER MOON
06 10 Mars in Conjunction with Sun
11 19:38 Pleiades 0.8°S of Moon
13 04:37 FULL MOON
13 09:37 Moon at Perigee: 356568 km
14 11 Geminid Meteor Shower
16 11:02 Moon at Descending Node
17 21:47 Regulus 2.4°N of Moon
19 22:29 LAST QUARTER MOON
22 00:04 Winter Solstice
22 01:54 Spica 3.2°N of Moon
22 19 Ursid Meteor Shower
25 18:53 Antares 0.1°S of Moon
27 05:50 Moon at Apogee: 406602 km
28 00:22 NEW MOON
29 16:09 Mercury 0.7°S of Moon: Occn.
29 21:07 Jupiter 0.6°N of Moon: Occn.
30 19:40 Moon at Ascending Node
|
|||||||
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
New Zealand Standard Time
The following table gives the date and time of the Moon's phases for the year. The times listed are for New Zealand Standard Time (Coordinated Universal Time + 12 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 | |||
| New Zealand Standard Time | |||
| New Moon | First Quarter | Full Moon | Last Quarter |
| Jan 08 23:37 | Jan 16 07:46 | Jan 23 01:35 | Jan 30 17:03 |
| Feb 07 15:44 A | Feb 14 15:34 | Feb 21 15:31 t | Feb 29 14:18 |
| Mar 08 05:14 | Mar 14 22:46 | Mar 22 06:40 | Mar 30 09:47 |
| Apr 06 15:55 | Apr 13 06:32 | Apr 20 22:25 | Apr 29 02:12 |
| May 06 00:18 | May 12 15:47 | May 20 14:11 | May 28 14:57 |
| Jun 04 07:23 | Jun 11 03:04 | Jun 19 05:30 | Jun 27 00:10 |
| Jul 03 14:19 | Jul 10 16:35 | Jul 18 19:59 | Jul 26 06:42 |
| Aug 01 22:13 T | Aug 09 08:20 | Aug 17 09:16 p | Aug 24 11:50 |
| Aug 31 07:58 | Sep 08 02:04 | Sep 15 21:13 | Sep 22 17:04 |
| Sep 29 20:12 | Oct 07 21:04 | Oct 15 08:03 | Oct 21 23:55 |
| Oct 29 11:14 | Nov 06 16:04 | Nov 13 18:17 | Nov 20 09:31 |
| Nov 28 04:55 | Dec 06 09:26 | Dec 13 04:37 | Dec 19 22:29 |
| Dec 28 00:23 | - | - | - |
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
Asia & Oceania
Below are links to sky event almanacs from 2001 to 2010 for ten time zones in Asia & Oceania.
Choose a time zone and click on a year to get a sky event almanac for that year.
| Sky Event Almanacs - Asia & Oceania | |||||||||||||||
| PKT | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | |||||
| IST | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | |||||
| BST | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | |||||
| ICT | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | |||||
| AWST | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | |||||
| JST | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | |||||
| ACT | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | |||||
| AEST | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | |||||
| NCT | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | |||||
| NZST | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | |||||
- PKT = Pakistan Standard Time (= UTC + 5 hours)
- IST = Indian Standard Time (= UTC + 5.5 hours)
- BST = Bangladesh Standard Time (= UTC + 6 hours)
- ICT = Indochina Time (= UTC + 7 hours)
- AWST = Australian Western Standard Time (= UTC + 8 hours)
- JST = Japan Standard Time (= UTC + 9 hours)
- ACT = Australian Central Time (= UTC + 9.5 hours)
- AEST = Australian Eastern Standard Time (= UTC + 10 hours)
- NCT = New Caledonia Time (= UTC + 11 hours)
- NZST = New Zealand Standard Time (= UTC + 12 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)