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