2012 Sky Event Almanac
Mountain Standard Time
The following table gives the date and time of the important astronomical events for the year. The times listed are for Mountain Standard Time (Coordinated Universal Time − 7 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 | ||||||||
| Mountain Standard Time | ||||||||
| January - June | July - December | |||||||
Date MST Event
(h:m)
Jan 02 13:19 Moon at Apogee: 404580 km
04 00 Quadrantid Meteor Shower
04 18 Earth at Perihelion: 0.98328 AU
05 02:17 Pleiades 2.8°N of Moon
06 07:30 Moon at Descending Node
09 00:30 FULL MOON
16 00:21 Spica 2.0°N of Moon
16 02:08 LAST QUARTER MOON
17 14:28 Moon at Perigee: 369883 km
17 23 Mercury at Aphelion
19 03:59 Antares 4.2°S of Moon
19 11:26 Moon at Ascending Node
23 00:39 NEW MOON
30 10:42 Moon at Apogee: 404325 km
30 21:10 FIRST QUARTER MOON
Feb 01 10:42 Pleiades 3.0°N of Moon
02 13:02 Moon at Descending Node
07 02 Mercury at Superior Conjunction
07 14:54 FULL MOON
11 11:32 Moon at Perigee: 367920 km
12 05:47 Spica 1.8°N of Moon
14 10:04 LAST QUARTER MOON
15 09:35 Antares 4.4°S of Moon
15 13:16 Moon at Ascending Node
15 14 Mars at Aphelion: 1.66598 AU
19 13 Neptune in Conjunction with Sun
21 15:35 NEW MOON
25 14:44 Venus 3.3°S of Moon
26 23:16 Jupiter 3.8°S of Moon
27 07:01 Moon at Apogee: 404864 km
28 18:46 Pleiades 3.3°N of Moon
29 15:37 Moon at Descending Node
29 18:22 FIRST QUARTER MOON
Mar 01 22 Mercury at Perihelion
03 12 Mars at Opposition
05 02 Mercury at Greatest Elong: 18.2°E
08 02:40 FULL MOON
10 03:02 Moon at Perigee: 362401 km
10 13:20 Spica 1.5°N of Moon
13 13:41 Moon at Ascending Node
13 15 Venus 3.0°N of Jupiter
13 15:10 Antares 4.7°S of Moon
14 18:25 LAST QUARTER MOON
19 22:15 Vernal Equinox
20 18 Venus at Perihelion
21 12 Mercury at Inferior Conjunction
22 07:37 NEW MOON
24 11 Uranus in Conjunction with Sun
25 16:57 Jupiter 3.1°S of Moon
25 23:04 Moon at Apogee: 405780 km
26 11:21 Venus 1.8°N of Moon
27 00 Venus at Greatest Elong: 46.0°E
27 01:56 Pleiades 3.5°N of Moon
27 17:19 Moon at Descending Node
30 12:41 FIRST QUARTER MOON
Apr 03 06:18 Venus 0.4°S of Pleiades
06 12:19 FULL MOON
06 23:24 Spica 1.5°N of Moon
07 09:59 Moon at Perigee: 358314 km
09 17:47 Moon at Ascending Node
09 22:54 Antares 4.9°S of Moon
13 03:50 LAST QUARTER MOON
15 11 Saturn at Opposition
15 19:18 Mars 0.7°N of Regulus
18 10 Mercury at Greatest Elong: 27.5°W
21 00:18 NEW MOON
21 22 Lyrid Meteor Shower
22 06:49 Moon at Apogee: 406422 km
22 11:30 Jupiter 2.4°S of Moon
23 08:15 Pleiades 3.6°N of Moon
23 20:43 Moon at Descending Node
29 02:58 FIRST QUARTER MOON
May 04 10:26 Spica 1.5°N of Moon
04 11 Eta-Aquarid Meteor Shower
05 20:33 Moon at Perigee: 356954 km
05 20:35 FULL MOON
07 02:43 Moon at Ascending Node
07 08:57 Antares 5.0°S of Moon
12 14:47 LAST QUARTER MOON
13 06 Jupiter in Conjunction with Sun
19 09:13 Moon at Apogee: 406451 km
20 16:47 NEW MOON
20 16:53 Annular Solar Eclipse; mag=0.944
21 02:20 Moon at Descending Node
27 04 Mercury at Superior Conjunction
28 13:16 FIRST QUARTER MOON
28 22 Mercury at Perihelion
31 20:24 Spica 1.5°N of Moon
Jun 03 06:19 Moon at Perigee: 358483 km
03 13:38 Moon at Ascending Node
03 19:51 Antares 5.0°S of Moon
04 04:03 Partial Lunar Eclipse; mag=0.370
04 04:12 FULL MOON
05 18 Venus at Inferior Conjunction
11 02:30 Jupiter 4.7°S of Pleiades
11 03:41 LAST QUARTER MOON
15 18:24 Moon at Apogee: 405791 km
16 20:34 Pleiades 3.6°N of Moon
17 01:23 Jupiter 1.1°S of Moon: Occn.
17 08:43 Moon at Descending Node
17 17:47 Venus 2.1°S of Moon
19 08:02 NEW MOON
20 16:08 Summer Solstice
21 03:33 Venus 2.2°N of Aldebaran
26 20:30 FIRST QUARTER MOON
28 04:04 Spica 1.4°N of Moon
30 19 Mercury at Greatest Elong: 25.7°E
30 22:45 Moon at Ascending Node
|
Date MST Event
(h:m)
Jul 01 01 Venus 4.8°S of Jupiter
01 05:42 Antares 5.0°S of Moon
01 11:01 Moon at Perigee: 362363 km
03 11:52 FULL MOON
04 21 Earth at Aphelion: 1.01668 AU
08 21:13 Venus 0.9°N of Aldebaran
10 18:48 LAST QUARTER MOON
11 03 Venus at Aphelion
11 21 Mercury at Aphelion
13 09:47 Moon at Apogee: 404783 km
14 03:34 Pleiades 3.7°N of Moon
14 13:55 Moon at Descending Node
14 20:02 Jupiter 0.5°S of Moon: Occn.
15 08:29 Venus 3.8°S of Moon
18 21:24 NEW MOON
24 15:07 Mars 4.2°N of Moon
25 09:43 Spica 1.2°N of Moon
26 01:56 FIRST QUARTER MOON
27 13 Delta-Aquarid Meteor Shower
28 03:34 Moon at Ascending Node
28 13 Mercury at Inferior Conjunction
29 01:30 Moon at Perigee: 367318 km
29 04:45 Jupiter 4.6°N of Aldebaran
Aug 01 20:27 FULL MOON
02 06:36 Saturn 4.0°N of Spica
09 11:55 LAST QUARTER MOON
10 03:52 Moon at Apogee: 404125 km
10 11:12 Pleiades 3.9°N of Moon
10 17:04 Moon at Descending Node
11 13:25 Jupiter 0.1°N of Moon: Occn.
12 05 Perseid Meteor Shower
13 12:41 Venus 0.6°S of Moon: Occn.
13 15:45 Mars 1.6°N of Spica
15 03 Venus at Greatest Elong: 45.8°W
15 11 Mars 2.7°S of Saturn
15 22:06 Mercury 3.6°N of Moon
16 05 Mercury at Greatest Elong: 18.7°W
17 08:55 NEW MOON
21 15:04 Spica 1.0°N of Moon
22 00:50 Mars 2.3°N of Moon
23 12:39 Moon at Perigee: 369731 km
24 04 Neptune at Opposition
24 04:38 Moon at Ascending Node
24 06:54 FIRST QUARTER MOON
24 21 Mercury at Perihelion
31 06:58 FULL MOON
Sep 06 19:04 Pleiades 4.2°N of Moon
06 19:08 Moon at Descending Node
06 23:00 Moon at Apogee: 404296 km
07 18:23 Aldebaran 4.5°S of Moon
08 03:59 Jupiter 0.6°N of Moon: Occn.
08 06:15 LAST QUARTER MOON
10 06 Mercury at Superior Conjunction
12 10:09 Venus 3.7°N of Moon
15 19:11 NEW MOON
17 22:05 Spica 0.8°N of Moon
18 07:45 Saturn 5.0°N of Moon
18 19:52 Moon at Perigee: 365749 km
19 13:36 Mars 0.2°N of Moon: Occn.
20 05:54 Moon at Ascending Node
22 07:49 Autumnal Equinox
22 12:41 FIRST QUARTER MOON
29 00 Uranus at Opposition
29 20:19 FULL MOON
Oct 01 03:56 Mercury 1.5°N of Spica
02 20:35 Venus 0.1°S of Regulus
03 22:15 Moon at Descending Node
04 02:36 Pleiades 4.4°N of Moon
04 17:43 Moon at Apogee: 405162 km
05 01 Mercury 3.2°S of Saturn
05 01:58 Aldebaran 4.3°S of Moon
05 13:50 Jupiter 0.9°N of Moon: Occn.
08 00:33 LAST QUARTER MOON
15 05:02 NEW MOON
16 18:02 Moon at Perigee: 360673 km
16 18:43 Mercury 1.3°S of Moon
17 11:27 Moon at Ascending Node
18 06:06 Mars 2.0°S of Moon
20 13:07 Mars 3.5°N of Antares
20 21 Orionid Meteor Shower
21 20:32 FIRST QUARTER MOON
25 01 Saturn in Conjunction with Sun
26 15 Mercury at Greatest Elong: 24.1°E
29 12:50 FULL MOON
31 03:36 Moon at Descending Node
31 09:28 Pleiades 4.5°N of Moon
31 11 Venus at Perihelion
Nov 01 08:30 Moon at Apogee: 406050 km
01 08:49 Aldebaran 4.2°S of Moon
01 17:58 Jupiter 0.9°N of Moon: Occn.
04 22 S Taurid Meteor Shower
06 17:36 LAST QUARTER MOON
11 18:42 Spica 0.8°N of Moon
11 21 N Taurid Meteor Shower
12 14:04 Saturn 4.3°N of Moon
13 15:08 NEW MOON
13 15:12 Total Solar Eclipse; mag=1.050
13 21:37 Moon at Ascending Node
14 03:21 Moon at Perigee: 357361 km
16 02:40 Mars 4.0°S of Moon
16 18:22 Venus 3.6°N of Spica
17 03 Leonid Meteor Shower
17 09 Mercury at Inferior Conjunction
20 07:31 FIRST QUARTER MOON
20 20 Mercury at Perihelion
26 22 Venus 0.5°S of Saturn
27 10:05 Moon at Descending Node
27 15:46 Pleiades 4.5°N of Moon
28 07:33 Pen. Lunar Eclipse; mag=0.915
28 07:46 FULL MOON
28 12:35 Moon at Apogee: 406366 km
28 15:06 Aldebaran 4.2°S of Moon
28 17:46 Jupiter 0.6°N of Moon: Occn.
Dec 02 18 Jupiter at Opposition
04 16 Mercury at Greatest Elong: 20.6°W
06 08:32 LAST QUARTER MOON
09 05:04 Spica 0.8°N of Moon
10 05:46 Saturn 4.0°N of Moon
11 06:48 Venus 1.6°N of Moon
11 08:57 Moon at Ascending Node
11 17:44 Mercury 1.1°N of Moon: Occn.
12 16:14 Moon at Perigee: 357074 km
12 22:18 Jupiter 4.7°N of Aldebaran
13 01:42 NEW MOON
13 16 Geminid Meteor Shower
19 22:19 FIRST QUARTER MOON
21 04:12 Winter Solstice
22 01 Ursid Meteor Shower
24 15:27 Moon at Descending Node
24 22:00 Pleiades 4.5°N of Moon
25 14:19 Moon at Apogee: 406101 km
25 17:02 Jupiter 0.4°N of Moon: Occn.
25 21:23 Aldebaran 4.2°S of Moon
28 03:21 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
Mountain Standard Time
The following table gives the date and time of the Moon's phases for the year. The times listed are for Mountain Standard Time (Coordinated Universal Time − 7 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 | |||
| Mountain Standard Time | |||
| New Moon | First Quarter | Full Moon | Last Quarter |
| - | Dec 31 23:15 | Jan 09 00:30 | Jan 16 02:08 |
| Jan 23 00:39 | Jan 30 21:10 | Feb 07 14:54 | Feb 14 10:04 |
| Feb 21 15:35 | Feb 29 18:22 | Mar 08 02:40 | Mar 14 18:25 |
| Mar 22 07:37 | Mar 30 12:41 | Apr 06 12:19 | Apr 13 03:50 |
| Apr 21 00:18 | Apr 29 02:58 | May 05 20:35 | May 12 14:47 |
| May 20 16:47 A | May 28 13:16 | Jun 04 04:12 p | Jun 11 03:41 |
| Jun 19 08:02 | Jun 26 20:30 | Jul 03 11:52 | Jul 10 18:48 |
| Jul 18 21:24 | Jul 26 01:56 | Aug 01 20:27 | Aug 09 11:55 |
| Aug 17 08:54 | Aug 24 06:54 | Aug 31 06:58 | Sep 08 06:15 |
| Sep 15 19:11 | Sep 22 12:41 | Sep 29 20:19 | Oct 08 00:33 |
| Oct 15 05:02 | Oct 21 20:32 | Oct 29 12:50 | Nov 06 17:36 |
| Nov 13 15:08 T | Nov 20 07:31 | Nov 28 07:46 n | Dec 06 08:32 |
| Dec 13 01:42 | Dec 19 22:19 | Dec 28 03:21 | - |
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)