2012 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.
| 2012 Sky Event Almanac | ||||||||
| Alaska Standard Time | ||||||||
| January - June | July - December | |||||||
Date AKST Even
(h:m)
Jan 02 11:19 Moon at Apogee: 404580 km
03 22 Quadrantid Meteor Shower
04 16 Earth at Perihelion: 0.98328 AU
05 00:17 Pleiades 2.8°N of Moon
06 05:30 Moon at Descending Node
08 22:30 FULL MOON
15 22:21 Spica 2.0°N of Moon
16 00:08 LAST QUARTER MOON
17 12:28 Moon at Perigee: 369883 km
17 21 Mercury at Aphelion
19 01:59 Antares 4.2°S of Moon
19 09:26 Moon at Ascending Node
22 22:39 NEW MOON
30 08:42 Moon at Apogee: 404325 km
30 19:10 FIRST QUARTER MOON
Feb 01 08:42 Pleiades 3.0°N of Moon
02 11:02 Moon at Descending Node
07 00 Mercury at Superior Conjunction
07 12:54 FULL MOON
11 09:32 Moon at Perigee: 367920 km
12 03:47 Spica 1.8°N of Moon
14 08:04 LAST QUARTER MOON
15 07:35 Antares 4.4°S of Moon
15 11:16 Moon at Ascending Node
15 12 Mars at Aphelion: 1.66598 AU
19 11 Neptune in Conjunction with Sun
21 13:35 NEW MOON
25 12:44 Venus 3.3°S of Moon
26 21:16 Jupiter 3.8°S of Moon
27 05:01 Moon at Apogee: 404864 km
28 16:46 Pleiades 3.3°N of Moon
29 13:37 Moon at Descending Node
29 16:22 FIRST QUARTER MOON
Mar 01 20 Mercury at Perihelion
03 10 Mars at Opposition
05 00 Mercury at Greatest Elong: 18.2°E
08 00:40 FULL MOON
10 01:02 Moon at Perigee: 362401 km
10 11:20 Spica 1.5°N of Moon
13 11:41 Moon at Ascending Node
13 13 Venus 3.0°N of Jupiter
13 13:10 Antares 4.7°S of Moon
14 16:25 LAST QUARTER MOON
19 20:15 Vernal Equinox
20 16 Venus at Perihelion
21 10 Mercury at Inferior Conjunction
22 05:37 NEW MOON
24 09 Uranus in Conjunction with Sun
25 14:57 Jupiter 3.1°S of Moon
25 21:04 Moon at Apogee: 405780 km
26 09:21 Venus 1.8°N of Moon
26 22 Venus at Greatest Elong: 46.0°E
26 23:56 Pleiades 3.5°N of Moon
27 15:19 Moon at Descending Node
30 10:41 FIRST QUARTER MOON
Apr 03 04:18 Venus 0.4°S of Pleiades
06 10:19 FULL MOON
06 21:24 Spica 1.5°N of Moon
07 07:59 Moon at Perigee: 358314 km
09 15:47 Moon at Ascending Node
09 20:54 Antares 4.9°S of Moon
13 01:50 LAST QUARTER MOON
15 09 Saturn at Opposition
15 17:18 Mars 0.7°N of Regulus
18 08 Mercury at Greatest Elong: 27.5°W
20 22:18 NEW MOON
21 20 Lyrid Meteor Shower
22 04:49 Moon at Apogee: 406422 km
22 09:30 Jupiter 2.4°S of Moon
23 06:15 Pleiades 3.6°N of Moon
23 18:43 Moon at Descending Node
29 00:58 FIRST QUARTER MOON
May 04 08:26 Spica 1.5°N of Moon
04 09 Eta-Aquarid Meteor Shower
05 18:33 Moon at Perigee: 356954 km
05 18:35 FULL MOON
07 00:43 Moon at Ascending Node
07 06:57 Antares 5.0°S of Moon
12 12:47 LAST QUARTER MOON
13 04 Jupiter in Conjunction with Sun
19 07:13 Moon at Apogee: 406451 km
20 14:47 NEW MOON
20 14:53 Annular Solar Eclipse; mag=0.944
21 00:20 Moon at Descending Node
27 02 Mercury at Superior Conjunction
28 11:16 FIRST QUARTER MOON
28 20 Mercury at Perihelion
31 18:24 Spica 1.5°N of Moon
Jun 03 04:19 Moon at Perigee: 358483 km
03 11:38 Moon at Ascending Node
03 17:51 Antares 5.0°S of Moon
04 02:03 Partial Lunar Eclipse; mag=0.370
04 02:12 FULL MOON
05 16 Venus at Inferior Conjunction
11 00:30 Jupiter 4.7°S of Pleiades
11 01:41 LAST QUARTER MOON
15 16:24 Moon at Apogee: 405791 km
16 18:34 Pleiades 3.6°N of Moon
16 23:23 Jupiter 1.1°S of Moon: Occn.
17 06:43 Moon at Descending Node
17 15:47 Venus 2.1°S of Moon
19 06:02 NEW MOON
20 14:08 Summer Solstice
21 01:33 Venus 2.2°N of Aldebaran
26 18:30 FIRST QUARTER MOON
28 02:04 Spica 1.4°N of Moon
30 17 Mercury at Greatest Elong: 25.7°E
30 20:45 Moon at Ascending Node
30 23 Venus 4.8°S of Jupiter
|
Date AKST Even
(h:m)
Jul 01 03:42 Antares 5.0°S of Moon
01 09:01 Moon at Perigee: 362363 km
03 09:52 FULL MOON
04 19 Earth at Aphelion: 1.01668 AU
08 19:13 Venus 0.9°N of Aldebaran
10 16:48 LAST QUARTER MOON
11 01 Venus at Aphelion
11 19 Mercury at Aphelion
13 07:47 Moon at Apogee: 404783 km
14 01:34 Pleiades 3.7°N of Moon
14 11:55 Moon at Descending Node
14 18:02 Jupiter 0.5°S of Moon: Occn.
15 06:29 Venus 3.8°S of Moon
18 19:24 NEW MOON
24 13:07 Mars 4.2°N of Moon
25 07:43 Spica 1.2°N of Moon
25 23:56 FIRST QUARTER MOON
27 11 Delta-Aquarid Meteor Shower
28 01:34 Moon at Ascending Node
28 11 Mercury at Inferior Conjunction
28 23:30 Moon at Perigee: 367318 km
29 02:45 Jupiter 4.6°N of Aldebaran
Aug 01 18:27 FULL MOON
02 04:36 Saturn 4.0°N of Spica
09 09:55 LAST QUARTER MOON
10 01:52 Moon at Apogee: 404125 km
10 09:12 Pleiades 3.9°N of Moon
10 15:04 Moon at Descending Node
11 11:25 Jupiter 0.1°N of Moon: Occn.
12 03 Perseid Meteor Shower
13 10:41 Venus 0.6°S of Moon: Occn.
13 13:45 Mars 1.6°N of Spica
15 01 Venus at Greatest Elong: 45.8°W
15 09 Mars 2.7°S of Saturn
15 20:06 Mercury 3.6°N of Moon
16 03 Mercury at Greatest Elong: 18.7°W
17 06:55 NEW MOON
21 13:04 Spica 1.0°N of Moon
21 22:50 Mars 2.3°N of Moon
23 10:39 Moon at Perigee: 369731 km
24 02 Neptune at Opposition
24 02:38 Moon at Ascending Node
24 04:54 FIRST QUARTER MOON
24 19 Mercury at Perihelion
31 04:58 FULL MOON
Sep 06 17:04 Pleiades 4.2°N of Moon
06 17:08 Moon at Descending Node
06 21:00 Moon at Apogee: 404296 km
07 16:23 Aldebaran 4.5°S of Moon
08 01:59 Jupiter 0.6°N of Moon: Occn.
08 04:15 LAST QUARTER MOON
10 04 Mercury at Superior Conjunction
12 08:09 Venus 3.7°N of Moon
15 17:11 NEW MOON
17 20:05 Spica 0.8°N of Moon
18 05:45 Saturn 5.0°N of Moon
18 17:52 Moon at Perigee: 365749 km
19 11:36 Mars 0.2°N of Moon: Occn.
20 03:54 Moon at Ascending Node
22 05:49 Autumnal Equinox
22 10:41 FIRST QUARTER MOON
28 22 Uranus at Opposition
29 18:19 FULL MOON
Oct 01 01:56 Mercury 1.5°N of Spica
02 18:35 Venus 0.1°S of Regulus
03 20:15 Moon at Descending Node
04 00:36 Pleiades 4.4°N of Moon
04 15:43 Moon at Apogee: 405162 km
04 23 Mercury 3.2°S of Saturn
04 23:58 Aldebaran 4.3°S of Moon
05 11:50 Jupiter 0.9°N of Moon: Occn.
07 22:33 LAST QUARTER MOON
15 03:02 NEW MOON
16 16:02 Moon at Perigee: 360673 km
16 16:43 Mercury 1.3°S of Moon
17 09:27 Moon at Ascending Node
18 04:06 Mars 2.0°S of Moon
20 11:07 Mars 3.5°N of Antares
20 19 Orionid Meteor Shower
21 18:32 FIRST QUARTER MOON
24 23 Saturn in Conjunction with Sun
26 13 Mercury at Greatest Elong: 24.1°E
29 10:50 FULL MOON
31 01:36 Moon at Descending Node
31 07:28 Pleiades 4.5°N of Moon
31 09 Venus at Perihelion
Nov 01 06:30 Moon at Apogee: 406050 km
01 06:49 Aldebaran 4.2°S of Moon
01 15:58 Jupiter 0.9°N of Moon: Occn.
04 20 S Taurid Meteor Shower
06 15:36 LAST QUARTER MOON
11 16:42 Spica 0.8°N of Moon
11 19 N Taurid Meteor Shower
12 12:04 Saturn 4.3°N of Moon
13 13:08 NEW MOON
13 13:12 Total Solar Eclipse; mag=1.050
13 19:37 Moon at Ascending Node
14 01:21 Moon at Perigee: 357361 km
16 00:40 Mars 4.0°S of Moon
16 16:22 Venus 3.6°N of Spica
17 01 Leonid Meteor Shower
17 07 Mercury at Inferior Conjunction
20 05:31 FIRST QUARTER MOON
20 18 Mercury at Perihelion
26 20 Venus 0.5°S of Saturn
27 08:05 Moon at Descending Node
27 13:46 Pleiades 4.5°N of Moon
28 05:33 Pen. Lunar Eclipse; mag=0.915
28 05:46 FULL MOON
28 10:35 Moon at Apogee: 406366 km
28 13:06 Aldebaran 4.2°S of Moon
28 15:46 Jupiter 0.6°N of Moon: Occn.
Dec 02 16 Jupiter at Opposition
04 14 Mercury at Greatest Elong: 20.6°W
06 06:32 LAST QUARTER MOON
09 03:04 Spica 0.8°N of Moon
10 03:46 Saturn 4.0°N of Moon
11 04:48 Venus 1.6°N of Moon
11 06:57 Moon at Ascending Node
11 15:44 Mercury 1.1°N of Moon: Occn.
12 14:14 Moon at Perigee: 357074 km
12 20:18 Jupiter 4.7°N of Aldebaran
12 23:42 NEW MOON
13 14 Geminid Meteor Shower
19 20:19 FIRST QUARTER MOON
21 02:12 Winter Solstice
21 23 Ursid Meteor Shower
24 13:27 Moon at Descending Node
24 20:00 Pleiades 4.5°N of Moon
25 12:19 Moon at Apogee: 406101 km
25 15:02 Jupiter 0.4°N of Moon: Occn.
25 19:23 Aldebaran 4.2°S of Moon
28 01:21 FULL 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
2012 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.
| 2012 Phases of the Moon | |||
| Alaska Standard Time | |||
| New Moon | First Quarter | Full Moon | Last Quarter |
| - | Dec 31 21:15 | Jan 08 22:30 | Jan 16 00:08 |
| Jan 22 22:39 | Jan 30 19:10 | Feb 07 12:54 | Feb 14 08:04 |
| Feb 21 13:35 | Feb 29 16:22 | Mar 08 00:40 | Mar 14 16:25 |
| Mar 22 05:37 | Mar 30 10:41 | Apr 06 10:19 | Apr 13 01:50 |
| Apr 20 22:18 | Apr 29 00:58 | May 05 18:35 | May 12 12:47 |
| May 20 14:47 A | May 28 11:16 | Jun 04 02:12 p | Jun 11 01:41 |
| Jun 19 06:02 | Jun 26 18:30 | Jul 03 09:52 | Jul 10 16:48 |
| Jul 18 19:24 | Jul 25 23:56 | Aug 01 18:27 | Aug 09 09:55 |
| Aug 17 06:54 | Aug 24 04:54 | Aug 31 04:58 | Sep 08 04:15 |
| Sep 15 17:11 | Sep 22 10:41 | Sep 29 18:19 | Oct 07 22:33 |
| Oct 15 03:02 | Oct 21 18:32 | Oct 29 10:50 | Nov 06 15:36 |
| Nov 13 13:08 T | Nov 20 05:31 | Nov 28 05:46 n | Dec 06 06:32 |
| Dec 12 23:42 | Dec 19 20:19 | Dec 28 01:21 | - |
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: 2011 to 2020
The Americas
Below are links to sky event almanacs from 2011 to 2020 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 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | |||||
| AST | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | |||||
| EST | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | |||||
| CST | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | |||||
| MST | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | |||||
| PST | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | |||||
| AKST | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | |||||
| HST | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | |||||
- 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)