2012 Sky Event Almanac
Gulf Standard Time
The following table gives the date and time of the important astronomical events for the year. The times listed are for Gulf Standard Time (Coordinated Universal Time + 4 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 | ||||||||
| Gulf Standard Time | ||||||||
| January - June | July - December | |||||||
Date GST Event
(h:m)
Jan 01 10:15 FIRST QUARTER MOON
03 00:19 Moon at Apogee: 404580 km
04 11 Quadrantid Meteor Shower
05 05 Earth at Perihelion: 0.98328 AU
05 13:17 Pleiades 2.8°N of Moon
06 18:30 Moon at Descending Node
09 11:30 FULL MOON
16 11:21 Spica 2.0°N of Moon
16 13:08 LAST QUARTER MOON
18 01:28 Moon at Perigee: 369883 km
18 10 Mercury at Aphelion
19 14:59 Antares 4.2°S of Moon
19 22:26 Moon at Ascending Node
23 11:39 NEW MOON
30 21:42 Moon at Apogee: 404325 km
31 08:10 FIRST QUARTER MOON
Feb 01 21:42 Pleiades 3.0°N of Moon
03 00:02 Moon at Descending Node
07 13 Mercury at Superior Conjunction
08 01:54 FULL MOON
11 22:32 Moon at Perigee: 367920 km
12 16:47 Spica 1.8°N of Moon
14 21:04 LAST QUARTER MOON
15 20:35 Antares 4.4°S of Moon
16 00:16 Moon at Ascending Node
16 01 Mars at Aphelion: 1.66598 AU
20 00 Neptune in Conjunction with Sun
22 02:35 NEW MOON
26 01:44 Venus 3.3°S of Moon
27 10:16 Jupiter 3.8°S of Moon
27 18:01 Moon at Apogee: 404864 km
29 05:46 Pleiades 3.3°N of Moon
Mar 01 02:37 Moon at Descending Node
01 05:22 FIRST QUARTER MOON
02 09 Mercury at Perihelion
03 23 Mars at Opposition
05 13 Mercury at Greatest Elong: 18.2°E
08 13:40 FULL MOON
10 14:02 Moon at Perigee: 362401 km
11 00:20 Spica 1.5°N of Moon
14 00:41 Moon at Ascending Node
14 02 Venus 3.0°N of Jupiter
14 02:10 Antares 4.7°S of Moon
15 05:25 LAST QUARTER MOON
20 09:15 Vernal Equinox
21 05 Venus at Perihelion
21 23 Mercury at Inferior Conjunction
22 18:37 NEW MOON
24 22 Uranus in Conjunction with Sun
26 03:57 Jupiter 3.1°S of Moon
26 10:04 Moon at Apogee: 405780 km
26 22:21 Venus 1.8°N of Moon
27 11 Venus at Greatest Elong: 46.0°E
27 12:56 Pleiades 3.5°N of Moon
28 04:19 Moon at Descending Node
30 23:41 FIRST QUARTER MOON
Apr 03 17:18 Venus 0.4°S of Pleiades
06 23:19 FULL MOON
07 10:24 Spica 1.5°N of Moon
07 20:59 Moon at Perigee: 358314 km
10 04:47 Moon at Ascending Node
10 09:54 Antares 4.9°S of Moon
13 14:50 LAST QUARTER MOON
15 22 Saturn at Opposition
16 06:18 Mars 0.7°N of Regulus
18 21 Mercury at Greatest Elong: 27.5°W
21 11:18 NEW MOON
22 09 Lyrid Meteor Shower
22 17:49 Moon at Apogee: 406422 km
22 22:30 Jupiter 2.4°S of Moon
23 19:15 Pleiades 3.6°N of Moon
24 07:43 Moon at Descending Node
29 13:58 FIRST QUARTER MOON
May 04 21:26 Spica 1.5°N of Moon
04 22 Eta-Aquarid Meteor Shower
06 07:33 Moon at Perigee: 356954 km
06 07:35 FULL MOON
07 13:43 Moon at Ascending Node
07 19:57 Antares 5.0°S of Moon
13 01:47 LAST QUARTER MOON
13 17 Jupiter in Conjunction with Sun
19 20:13 Moon at Apogee: 406451 km
21 03:47 NEW MOON
21 03:53 Annular Solar Eclipse; mag=0.944
21 13:20 Moon at Descending Node
27 15 Mercury at Superior Conjunction
29 00:16 FIRST QUARTER MOON
29 09 Mercury at Perihelion
Jun 01 07:24 Spica 1.5°N of Moon
03 17:19 Moon at Perigee: 358483 km
04 00:38 Moon at Ascending Node
04 06:51 Antares 5.0°S of Moon
04 15:03 Partial Lunar Eclipse; mag=0.370
04 15:12 FULL MOON
06 05 Venus at Inferior Conjunction
11 13:30 Jupiter 4.7°S of Pleiades
11 14:41 LAST QUARTER MOON
16 05:24 Moon at Apogee: 405791 km
17 07:34 Pleiades 3.6°N of Moon
17 12:23 Jupiter 1.1°S of Moon: Occn.
17 19:43 Moon at Descending Node
18 04:47 Venus 2.1°S of Moon
19 19:02 NEW MOON
21 03:08 Summer Solstice
21 14:33 Venus 2.2°N of Aldebaran
27 07:30 FIRST QUARTER MOON
28 15:04 Spica 1.4°N of Moon
|
Date GST Event
(h:m)
Jul 01 06 Mercury at Greatest Elong: 25.7°E
01 09:45 Moon at Ascending Node
01 12 Venus 4.8°S of Jupiter
01 16:42 Antares 5.0°S of Moon
01 22:01 Moon at Perigee: 362363 km
03 22:52 FULL MOON
05 08 Earth at Aphelion: 1.01668 AU
09 08:13 Venus 0.9°N of Aldebaran
11 05:48 LAST QUARTER MOON
11 14 Venus at Aphelion
12 08 Mercury at Aphelion
13 20:47 Moon at Apogee: 404783 km
14 14:34 Pleiades 3.7°N of Moon
15 00:55 Moon at Descending Node
15 07:02 Jupiter 0.5°S of Moon: Occn.
15 19:29 Venus 3.8°S of Moon
19 08:24 NEW MOON
25 02:07 Mars 4.2°N of Moon
25 20:43 Spica 1.2°N of Moon
26 12:56 FIRST QUARTER MOON
28 00 Delta-Aquarid Meteor Shower
28 14:34 Moon at Ascending Node
29 00 Mercury at Inferior Conjunction
29 12:30 Moon at Perigee: 367318 km
29 15:45 Jupiter 4.6°N of Aldebaran
Aug 02 07:27 FULL MOON
02 17:36 Saturn 4.0°N of Spica
09 22:55 LAST QUARTER MOON
10 14:52 Moon at Apogee: 404125 km
10 22:12 Pleiades 3.9°N of Moon
11 04:04 Moon at Descending Node
12 00:25 Jupiter 0.1°N of Moon: Occn.
12 16 Perseid Meteor Shower
13 23:41 Venus 0.6°S of Moon: Occn.
14 02:45 Mars 1.6°N of Spica
15 14 Venus at Greatest Elong: 45.8°W
15 22 Mars 2.7°S of Saturn
16 09:06 Mercury 3.6°N of Moon
16 16 Mercury at Greatest Elong: 18.7°W
17 19:55 NEW MOON
22 02:04 Spica 1.0°N of Moon
22 11:50 Mars 2.3°N of Moon
23 23:39 Moon at Perigee: 369731 km
24 15 Neptune at Opposition
24 15:38 Moon at Ascending Node
24 17:54 FIRST QUARTER MOON
25 08 Mercury at Perihelion
31 17:58 FULL MOON
Sep 07 06:04 Pleiades 4.2°N of Moon
07 06:08 Moon at Descending Node
07 10:00 Moon at Apogee: 404296 km
08 05:23 Aldebaran 4.5°S of Moon
08 14:59 Jupiter 0.6°N of Moon: Occn.
08 17:15 LAST QUARTER MOON
10 17 Mercury at Superior Conjunction
12 21:09 Venus 3.7°N of Moon
16 06:11 NEW MOON
18 09:05 Spica 0.8°N of Moon
18 18:45 Saturn 5.0°N of Moon
19 06:52 Moon at Perigee: 365749 km
20 00:36 Mars 0.2°N of Moon: Occn.
20 16:54 Moon at Ascending Node
22 18:49 Autumnal Equinox
22 23:41 FIRST QUARTER MOON
29 11 Uranus at Opposition
30 07:19 FULL MOON
Oct 01 14:56 Mercury 1.5°N of Spica
03 07:35 Venus 0.1°S of Regulus
04 09:15 Moon at Descending Node
04 13:36 Pleiades 4.4°N of Moon
05 04:43 Moon at Apogee: 405162 km
05 12 Mercury 3.2°S of Saturn
05 12:58 Aldebaran 4.3°S of Moon
06 00:50 Jupiter 0.9°N of Moon: Occn.
08 11:33 LAST QUARTER MOON
15 16:02 NEW MOON
17 05:02 Moon at Perigee: 360673 km
17 05:43 Mercury 1.3°S of Moon
17 22:27 Moon at Ascending Node
18 17:06 Mars 2.0°S of Moon
21 00:07 Mars 3.5°N of Antares
21 08 Orionid Meteor Shower
22 07:32 FIRST QUARTER MOON
25 12 Saturn in Conjunction with Sun
27 02 Mercury at Greatest Elong: 24.1°E
29 23:50 FULL MOON
31 14:36 Moon at Descending Node
31 20:28 Pleiades 4.5°N of Moon
31 22 Venus at Perihelion
Nov 01 19:30 Moon at Apogee: 406050 km
01 19:49 Aldebaran 4.2°S of Moon
02 04:58 Jupiter 0.9°N of Moon: Occn.
05 09 S Taurid Meteor Shower
07 04:36 LAST QUARTER MOON
12 05:42 Spica 0.8°N of Moon
12 08 N Taurid Meteor Shower
13 01:04 Saturn 4.3°N of Moon
14 02:08 NEW MOON
14 02:12 Total Solar Eclipse; mag=1.050
14 08:37 Moon at Ascending Node
14 14:21 Moon at Perigee: 357361 km
16 13:40 Mars 4.0°S of Moon
17 05:22 Venus 3.6°N of Spica
17 14 Leonid Meteor Shower
17 20 Mercury at Inferior Conjunction
20 18:31 FIRST QUARTER MOON
21 07 Mercury at Perihelion
27 09 Venus 0.5°S of Saturn
27 21:05 Moon at Descending Node
28 02:46 Pleiades 4.5°N of Moon
28 18:33 Pen. Lunar Eclipse; mag=0.915
28 18:46 FULL MOON
28 23:35 Moon at Apogee: 406366 km
29 02:06 Aldebaran 4.2°S of Moon
29 04:46 Jupiter 0.6°N of Moon: Occn.
Dec 03 05 Jupiter at Opposition
05 03 Mercury at Greatest Elong: 20.6°W
06 19:32 LAST QUARTER MOON
09 16:04 Spica 0.8°N of Moon
10 16:46 Saturn 4.0°N of Moon
11 17:48 Venus 1.6°N of Moon
11 19:57 Moon at Ascending Node
12 04:44 Mercury 1.1°N of Moon: Occn.
13 03:14 Moon at Perigee: 357074 km
13 09:18 Jupiter 4.7°N of Aldebaran
13 12:42 NEW MOON
14 03 Geminid Meteor Shower
20 09:19 FIRST QUARTER MOON
21 15:12 Winter Solstice
22 12 Ursid Meteor Shower
25 02:27 Moon at Descending Node
25 09:00 Pleiades 4.5°N of Moon
26 01:19 Moon at Apogee: 406101 km
26 04:02 Jupiter 0.4°N of Moon: Occn.
26 08:23 Aldebaran 4.2°S of Moon
28 14:21 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
Gulf Standard Time
The following table gives the date and time of the Moon's phases for the year. The times listed are for Gulf Standard Time (Coordinated Universal Time + 4 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 | |||
| Gulf Standard Time | |||
| New Moon | First Quarter | Full Moon | Last Quarter |
| - | Jan 01 10:15 | Jan 09 11:30 | Jan 16 13:08 |
| Jan 23 11:39 | Jan 31 08:10 | Feb 08 01:54 | Feb 14 21:04 |
| Feb 22 02:35 | Mar 01 05:22 | Mar 08 13:40 | Mar 15 05:25 |
| Mar 22 18:37 | Mar 30 23:41 | Apr 06 23:19 | Apr 13 14:50 |
| Apr 21 11:18 | Apr 29 13:58 | May 06 07:35 | May 13 01:47 |
| May 21 03:47 A | May 29 00:16 | Jun 04 15:12 p | Jun 11 14:41 |
| Jun 19 19:02 | Jun 27 07:30 | Jul 03 22:52 | Jul 11 05:48 |
| Jul 19 08:24 | Jul 26 12:56 | Aug 02 07:27 | Aug 09 22:55 |
| Aug 17 19:54 | Aug 24 17:54 | Aug 31 17:58 | Sep 08 17:15 |
| Sep 16 06:11 | Sep 22 23:41 | Sep 30 07:19 | Oct 08 11:33 |
| Oct 15 16:02 | Oct 22 07:32 | Oct 29 23:50 | Nov 07 04:36 |
| Nov 14 02:08 T | Nov 20 18:31 | Nov 28 18:46 n | Dec 06 19:32 |
| Dec 13 12:42 | Dec 20 09:19 | Dec 28 14:21 | - |
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)