2012 Sky Event Almanac
Greenwich Mean Time
The following table gives the date and time of the important astronomical events for the year. The times listed are for Greenwich Mean Time (= Coordinated Universal Time) . 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 | ||||||||
| Greenwich Mean Time | ||||||||
| January - June | July - December | |||||||
Date GMT Event
(h:m)
Jan 01 06:15 FIRST QUARTER MOON
02 20:19 Moon at Apogee: 404580 km
04 07 Quadrantid Meteor Shower
05 01 Earth at Perihelion: 0.98328 AU
05 09:17 Pleiades 2.8°N of Moon
06 14:30 Moon at Descending Node
09 07:30 FULL MOON
16 07:21 Spica 2.0°N of Moon
16 09:08 LAST QUARTER MOON
17 21:28 Moon at Perigee: 369883 km
18 06 Mercury at Aphelion
19 10:59 Antares 4.2°S of Moon
19 18:26 Moon at Ascending Node
23 07:39 NEW MOON
30 17:42 Moon at Apogee: 404325 km
31 04:10 FIRST QUARTER MOON
Feb 01 17:42 Pleiades 3.0°N of Moon
02 20:02 Moon at Descending Node
07 09 Mercury at Superior Conjunction
07 21:54 FULL MOON
11 18:32 Moon at Perigee: 367920 km
12 12:47 Spica 1.8°N of Moon
14 17:04 LAST QUARTER MOON
15 16:35 Antares 4.4°S of Moon
15 20:16 Moon at Ascending Node
15 21 Mars at Aphelion: 1.66598 AU
19 20 Neptune in Conjunction with Sun
21 22:35 NEW MOON
25 21:44 Venus 3.3°S of Moon
27 06:16 Jupiter 3.8°S of Moon
27 14:01 Moon at Apogee: 404864 km
29 01:46 Pleiades 3.3°N of Moon
29 22:37 Moon at Descending Node
Mar 01 01:22 FIRST QUARTER MOON
02 05 Mercury at Perihelion
03 19 Mars at Opposition
05 09 Mercury at Greatest Elong: 18.2°E
08 09:40 FULL MOON
10 10:02 Moon at Perigee: 362401 km
10 20:20 Spica 1.5°N of Moon
13 20:41 Moon at Ascending Node
13 22 Venus 3.0°N of Jupiter
13 22:10 Antares 4.7°S of Moon
15 01:25 LAST QUARTER MOON
20 05:15 Vernal Equinox
21 01 Venus at Perihelion
21 19 Mercury at Inferior Conjunction
22 14:37 NEW MOON
24 18 Uranus in Conjunction with Sun
25 23:57 Jupiter 3.1°S of Moon
26 06:04 Moon at Apogee: 405780 km
26 18:21 Venus 1.8°N of Moon
27 07 Venus at Greatest Elong: 46.0°E
27 08:56 Pleiades 3.5°N of Moon
28 00:19 Moon at Descending Node
30 19:41 FIRST QUARTER MOON
Apr 03 13:18 Venus 0.4°S of Pleiades
06 19:19 FULL MOON
07 06:24 Spica 1.5°N of Moon
07 16:59 Moon at Perigee: 358314 km
10 00:47 Moon at Ascending Node
10 05:54 Antares 4.9°S of Moon
13 10:50 LAST QUARTER MOON
15 18 Saturn at Opposition
16 02:18 Mars 0.7°N of Regulus
18 17 Mercury at Greatest Elong: 27.5°W
21 07:18 NEW MOON
22 05 Lyrid Meteor Shower
22 13:49 Moon at Apogee: 406422 km
22 18:30 Jupiter 2.4°S of Moon
23 15:15 Pleiades 3.6°N of Moon
24 03:43 Moon at Descending Node
29 09:58 FIRST QUARTER MOON
May 04 17:26 Spica 1.5°N of Moon
04 18 Eta-Aquarid Meteor Shower
06 03:33 Moon at Perigee: 356954 km
06 03:35 FULL MOON
07 09:43 Moon at Ascending Node
07 15:57 Antares 5.0°S of Moon
12 21:47 LAST QUARTER MOON
13 13 Jupiter in Conjunction with Sun
19 16:13 Moon at Apogee: 406451 km
20 23:47 NEW MOON
20 23:53 Annular Solar Eclipse; mag=0.944
21 09:20 Moon at Descending Node
27 11 Mercury at Superior Conjunction
28 20:16 FIRST QUARTER MOON
29 05 Mercury at Perihelion
Jun 01 03:24 Spica 1.5°N of Moon
03 13:19 Moon at Perigee: 358483 km
03 20:38 Moon at Ascending Node
04 02:51 Antares 5.0°S of Moon
04 11:03 Partial Lunar Eclipse; mag=0.370
04 11:12 FULL MOON
06 01 Venus at Inferior Conjunction
11 09:30 Jupiter 4.7°S of Pleiades
11 10:41 LAST QUARTER MOON
16 01:24 Moon at Apogee: 405791 km
17 03:34 Pleiades 3.6°N of Moon
17 08:23 Jupiter 1.1°S of Moon: Occn.
17 15:43 Moon at Descending Node
18 00:47 Venus 2.1°S of Moon
19 15:02 NEW MOON
20 23:08 Summer Solstice
21 10:33 Venus 2.2°N of Aldebaran
27 03:30 FIRST QUARTER MOON
28 11:04 Spica 1.4°N of Moon
|
Date GMT Event
(h:m)
Jul 01 02 Mercury at Greatest Elong: 25.7°E
01 05:45 Moon at Ascending Node
01 08 Venus 4.8°S of Jupiter
01 12:42 Antares 5.0°S of Moon
01 18:01 Moon at Perigee: 362363 km
03 18:52 FULL MOON
05 04 Earth at Aphelion: 1.01668 AU
09 04:13 Venus 0.9°N of Aldebaran
11 01:48 LAST QUARTER MOON
11 10 Venus at Aphelion
12 04 Mercury at Aphelion
13 16:47 Moon at Apogee: 404783 km
14 10:34 Pleiades 3.7°N of Moon
14 20:55 Moon at Descending Node
15 03:02 Jupiter 0.5°S of Moon: Occn.
15 15:29 Venus 3.8°S of Moon
19 04:24 NEW MOON
24 22:07 Mars 4.2°N of Moon
25 16:43 Spica 1.2°N of Moon
26 08:56 FIRST QUARTER MOON
27 20 Delta-Aquarid Meteor Shower
28 10:34 Moon at Ascending Node
28 20 Mercury at Inferior Conjunction
29 08:30 Moon at Perigee: 367318 km
29 11:45 Jupiter 4.6°N of Aldebaran
Aug 02 03:27 FULL MOON
02 13:36 Saturn 4.0°N of Spica
09 18:55 LAST QUARTER MOON
10 10:52 Moon at Apogee: 404125 km
10 18:12 Pleiades 3.9°N of Moon
11 00:04 Moon at Descending Node
11 20:25 Jupiter 0.1°N of Moon: Occn.
12 12 Perseid Meteor Shower
13 19:41 Venus 0.6°S of Moon: Occn.
13 22:45 Mars 1.6°N of Spica
15 10 Venus at Greatest Elong: 45.8°W
15 18 Mars 2.7°S of Saturn
16 05:06 Mercury 3.6°N of Moon
16 12 Mercury at Greatest Elong: 18.7°W
17 15:55 NEW MOON
21 22:04 Spica 1.0°N of Moon
22 07:50 Mars 2.3°N of Moon
23 19:39 Moon at Perigee: 369731 km
24 11 Neptune at Opposition
24 11:38 Moon at Ascending Node
24 13:54 FIRST QUARTER MOON
25 04 Mercury at Perihelion
31 13:58 FULL MOON
Sep 07 02:04 Pleiades 4.2°N of Moon
07 02:08 Moon at Descending Node
07 06:00 Moon at Apogee: 404296 km
08 01:23 Aldebaran 4.5°S of Moon
08 10:59 Jupiter 0.6°N of Moon: Occn.
08 13:15 LAST QUARTER MOON
10 13 Mercury at Superior Conjunction
12 17:09 Venus 3.7°N of Moon
16 02:11 NEW MOON
18 05:05 Spica 0.8°N of Moon
18 14:45 Saturn 5.0°N of Moon
19 02:52 Moon at Perigee: 365749 km
19 20:36 Mars 0.2°N of Moon: Occn.
20 12:54 Moon at Ascending Node
22 14:49 Autumnal Equinox
22 19:41 FIRST QUARTER MOON
29 07 Uranus at Opposition
30 03:19 FULL MOON
Oct 01 10:56 Mercury 1.5°N of Spica
03 03:35 Venus 0.1°S of Regulus
04 05:15 Moon at Descending Node
04 09:36 Pleiades 4.4°N of Moon
05 00:43 Moon at Apogee: 405162 km
05 08 Mercury 3.2°S of Saturn
05 08:58 Aldebaran 4.3°S of Moon
05 20:50 Jupiter 0.9°N of Moon: Occn.
08 07:33 LAST QUARTER MOON
15 12:02 NEW MOON
17 01:02 Moon at Perigee: 360673 km
17 01:43 Mercury 1.3°S of Moon
17 18:27 Moon at Ascending Node
18 13:06 Mars 2.0°S of Moon
20 20:07 Mars 3.5°N of Antares
21 04 Orionid Meteor Shower
22 03:32 FIRST QUARTER MOON
25 08 Saturn in Conjunction with Sun
26 22 Mercury at Greatest Elong: 24.1°E
29 19:50 FULL MOON
31 10:36 Moon at Descending Node
31 16:28 Pleiades 4.5°N of Moon
31 18 Venus at Perihelion
Nov 01 15:30 Moon at Apogee: 406050 km
01 15:49 Aldebaran 4.2°S of Moon
02 00:58 Jupiter 0.9°N of Moon: Occn.
05 05 S Taurid Meteor Shower
07 00:36 LAST QUARTER MOON
12 01:42 Spica 0.8°N of Moon
12 04 N Taurid Meteor Shower
12 21:04 Saturn 4.3°N of Moon
13 22:08 NEW MOON
13 22:12 Total Solar Eclipse; mag=1.050
14 04:37 Moon at Ascending Node
14 10:21 Moon at Perigee: 357361 km
16 09:40 Mars 4.0°S of Moon
17 01:22 Venus 3.6°N of Spica
17 10 Leonid Meteor Shower
17 16 Mercury at Inferior Conjunction
20 14:31 FIRST QUARTER MOON
21 03 Mercury at Perihelion
27 05 Venus 0.5°S of Saturn
27 17:05 Moon at Descending Node
27 22:46 Pleiades 4.5°N of Moon
28 14:33 Pen. Lunar Eclipse; mag=0.915
28 14:46 FULL MOON
28 19:35 Moon at Apogee: 406366 km
28 22:06 Aldebaran 4.2°S of Moon
29 00:46 Jupiter 0.6°N of Moon: Occn.
Dec 03 01 Jupiter at Opposition
04 23 Mercury at Greatest Elong: 20.6°W
06 15:32 LAST QUARTER MOON
09 12:04 Spica 0.8°N of Moon
10 12:46 Saturn 4.0°N of Moon
11 13:48 Venus 1.6°N of Moon
11 15:57 Moon at Ascending Node
12 00:44 Mercury 1.1°N of Moon: Occn.
12 23:14 Moon at Perigee: 357074 km
13 05:18 Jupiter 4.7°N of Aldebaran
13 08:42 NEW MOON
13 23 Geminid Meteor Shower
20 05:19 FIRST QUARTER MOON
21 11:12 Winter Solstice
22 08 Ursid Meteor Shower
24 22:27 Moon at Descending Node
25 05:00 Pleiades 4.5°N of Moon
25 21:19 Moon at Apogee: 406101 km
26 00:02 Jupiter 0.4°N of Moon: Occn.
26 04:23 Aldebaran 4.2°S of Moon
28 10:21 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
Greenwich Mean Time
The following table gives the date and time of the Moon's phases for the year. The times listed are for Greenwich Mean Time (= Coordinated Universal Time) . 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 | |||
| Greenwich Mean Time | |||
| New Moon | First Quarter | Full Moon | Last Quarter |
| - | Jan 01 06:15 | Jan 09 07:30 | Jan 16 09:08 |
| Jan 23 07:39 | Jan 31 04:10 | Feb 07 21:54 | Feb 14 17:04 |
| Feb 21 22:35 | Mar 01 01:22 | Mar 08 09:40 | Mar 15 01:25 |
| Mar 22 14:37 | Mar 30 19:41 | Apr 06 19:19 | Apr 13 10:50 |
| Apr 21 07:18 | Apr 29 09:58 | May 06 03:35 | May 12 21:47 |
| May 20 23:47 A | May 28 20:16 | Jun 04 11:12 p | Jun 11 10:41 |
| Jun 19 15:02 | Jun 27 03:30 | Jul 03 18:52 | Jul 11 01:48 |
| Jul 19 04:24 | Jul 26 08:56 | Aug 02 03:27 | Aug 09 18:55 |
| Aug 17 15:54 | Aug 24 13:54 | Aug 31 13:58 | Sep 08 13:15 |
| Sep 16 02:11 | Sep 22 19:41 | Sep 30 03:19 | Oct 08 07:33 |
| Oct 15 12:02 | Oct 22 03:32 | Oct 29 19:50 | Nov 07 00:36 |
| Nov 13 22:08 T | Nov 20 14:31 | Nov 28 14:46 n | Dec 06 15:32 |
| Dec 13 08:42 | Dec 20 05:19 | Dec 28 10:21 | - |
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)