2015 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.
| 2015 Sky Event Almanac | ||||||||
| Alaska Standard Time | ||||||||
| January - June | July - December | |||||||
Date AKST Even
(h:m)
Jan 02 02:35 Aldebaran 1.4°S of Moon
03 17 Quadrantid Meteor Shower
03 21 Earth at Perihelion: 0.98328 AU
04 19:53 FULL MOON
08 16:34 Regulus 4.1°N of Moon
09 09:17 Moon at Apogee: 405411 km
10 16 Mercury 0.6°N of Venus
12 06:33 Moon at Ascending Node
13 00:27 Spica 3.1°S of Moon
13 00:47 LAST QUARTER MOON
14 11 Mercury at Greatest Elong: 18.9°E
16 02:52 Saturn 1.9°S of Moon
20 04:14 NEW MOON
21 08:39 Mercury 3.0°S of Moon
21 11:06 Moon at Perigee: 359643 km
21 12 Mercury at Perihelion
22 19:40 Mars 3.9°S of Moon
25 01:23 Moon at Descending Node
26 19:48 FIRST QUARTER MOON
29 08:07 Aldebaran 1.2°S of Moon
30 05 Mercury at Inferior Conjunction
Feb 03 14:09 FULL MOON
04 23:17 Regulus 4.0°N of Moon
05 21:25 Moon at Apogee: 406155 km
06 08 Jupiter at Opposition
08 08:10 Moon at Ascending Node
09 07:23 Spica 3.3°S of Moon
11 18:50 LAST QUARTER MOON
12 15:10 Saturn 2.1°S of Moon
16 21:20 Mercury 3.5°S of Moon
18 14:47 NEW MOON
18 22:29 Moon at Perigee: 356992 km
20 15:56 Venus 2.0°S of Moon
20 16:28 Mars 1.5°S of Moon
21 07:05 Moon at Descending Node
21 20 Venus 0.4°S of Mars
24 07 Mercury at Greatest Elong: 26.7°W
25 08:14 FIRST QUARTER MOON
25 14:02 Aldebaran 1.0°S of Moon
25 19 Neptune in Conjunction with Sun
Mar 04 05:29 Regulus 4.0°N of Moon
04 22:35 Moon at Apogee: 406386 km
05 09:05 FULL MOON
06 11 Mercury at Aphelion
07 12:04 Moon at Ascending Node
08 13:21 Spica 3.4°S of Moon
11 23:25 Saturn 2.3°S of Moon
13 08:48 LAST QUARTER MOON
19 10:38 Moon at Perigee: 357584 km
20 00:36 NEW MOON
20 00:46 Total Solar Eclipse; mag=1.045
20 13:45 Vernal Equinox
20 17:19 Moon at Descending Node
21 13:13 Mars 1.0°N of Moon: Occn.
22 10:51 Venus 2.8°N of Moon
24 21:55 Aldebaran 0.9°S of Moon
26 22:43 FIRST QUARTER MOON
31 11:45 Regulus 4.0°N of Moon
Apr 01 03:59 Moon at Apogee: 406012 km
03 18:17 Moon at Ascending Node
04 03:00 Total Lunar Eclipse; mag=1.001
04 03:06 FULL MOON
04 19:21 Spica 3.5°S of Moon
06 05 Uranus in Conjunction with Sun
08 04:08 Saturn 2.2°S of Moon
09 19 Mercury at Superior Conjunction
11 06:28 Venus 2.5°S of Pleiades
11 18:44 LAST QUARTER MOON
16 18:53 Moon at Perigee: 361026 km
17 04:07 Moon at Descending Node
18 04 Venus at Perihelion
18 09:57 NEW MOON
19 11 Mercury at Perihelion
21 07:35 Aldebaran 0.9°S of Moon
22 14 Lyrid Meteor Shower
25 14:55 FIRST QUARTER MOON
27 18:38 Regulus 4.0°N of Moon
28 18:55 Moon at Apogee: 405085 km
30 16:29 Mercury 1.6°S of Pleiades
May 01 00:50 Moon at Ascending Node
02 02:10 Spica 3.5°S of Moon
03 18:42 FULL MOON
05 04 Eta-Aquarid Meteor Shower
05 07:19 Saturn 2.0°S of Moon
06 20 Mercury at Greatest Elong: 21.2°E
11 01:36 LAST QUARTER MOON
14 11:37 Moon at Descending Node
14 15:23 Moon at Perigee: 366024 km
17 19:13 NEW MOON
22 16 Saturn at Opposition
25 02:14 Regulus 3.8°N of Moon
25 08:19 FIRST QUARTER MOON
26 13:12 Moon at Apogee: 404246 km
28 05:40 Moon at Ascending Node
29 08:27 Venus 3.9°S of Pollux
29 09:52 Spica 3.6°S of Moon
30 08 Mercury at Inferior Conjunction
Jun 01 11:02 Saturn 1.9°S of Moon
02 07:19 FULL MOON
06 10 Venus at Greatest Elong: 45.4°E
09 06:42 LAST QUARTER MOON
09 19:39 Moon at Perigee: 369713 km
10 14:30 Moon at Descending Node
14 06 Mars in Conjunction with Sun
14 17:26 Mercury 0.0°N of Moon: Occn.
15 02:11 Aldebaran 1.0°S of Moon
16 05:05 NEW MOON
21 07:38 Summer Solstice
21 10:10 Regulus 3.6°N of Moon
23 00:37 Mercury 1.8°N of Aldebaran
23 08:01 Moon at Apogee: 404134 km
24 02:03 FIRST QUARTER MOON
24 08 Mercury at Greatest Elong: 22.5°W
24 08:23 Moon at Ascending Node
25 17:58 Spica 3.8°S of Moon
28 16:27 Saturn 2.0°S of Moon
30 17 Venus 0.3°S of Jupiter
|
Date AKST Even
(h:m)
Jul 01 17:20 FULL MOON
05 09:54 Moon at Perigee: 367095 km
06 10 Earth at Aphelion: 1.01668 AU
07 15:07 Moon at Descending Node
08 11:24 LAST QUARTER MOON
12 08:55 Aldebaran 0.9°S of Moon
14 12:15 Venus 1.5°S of Regulus
15 16:24 NEW MOON
16 10 Mercury at Perihelion
18 08:34 Jupiter 4.1°N of Moon
18 16:06 Venus 0.4°N of Moon: Occn.
18 17:49 Regulus 3.4°N of Moon
21 02:02 Moon at Apogee: 404837 km
21 10:32 Moon at Ascending Node
23 01:45 Spica 4.0°S of Moon
23 10 Mercury at Superior Conjunction
23 19:04 FIRST QUARTER MOON
25 23:43 Saturn 2.2°S of Moon
28 05 Delta-Aquarid Meteor Shower
31 01:43 FULL MOON
Aug 02 01:11 Moon at Perigee: 362135 km
03 17:53 Moon at Descending Node
06 17:03 LAST QUARTER MOON
07 08:25 Mercury 0.8°N of Regulus
08 13 Venus at Aphelion
08 14:22 Aldebaran 0.7°S of Moon
12 21 Perseid Meteor Shower
14 05:54 NEW MOON
15 10 Venus at Inferior Conjunction
16 05:34 Mercury 2.0°N of Moon
17 14:05 Moon at Ascending Node
17 17:33 Moon at Apogee: 405852 km
19 08:46 Spica 4.2°S of Moon
22 08:21 Saturn 2.6°S of Moon
22 10:31 FIRST QUARTER MOON
26 12 Jupiter in Conjunction with Sun
29 09:35 FULL MOON
29 10 Mercury at Aphelion
30 06:24 Moon at Perigee: 358289 km
31 01:16 Moon at Descending Node
31 17 Neptune at Opposition
Sep 04 01 Mercury at Greatest Elong: 27.1°E
04 20:09 Aldebaran 0.6°S of Moon
05 00:54 LAST QUARTER MOON
09 20:53 Venus 2.7°S of Moon
11 06:56 Regulus 3.3°N of Moon
12 21:41 NEW MOON
12 21:54 Partial Solar Eclipse; mag=0.788
13 19:38 Moon at Ascending Node
14 02:28 Moon at Apogee: 406466 km
15 15:00 Spica 4.3°S of Moon
18 17:54 Saturn 2.8°S of Moon
20 23:59 FIRST QUARTER MOON
22 23:20 Autumnal Equinox
24 10:38 Mars 0.7°N of Regulus
27 12:04 Moon at Descending Node
27 16:46 Moon at Perigee: 356877 km
27 17:47 Total Lunar Eclipse; mag=1.276
27 17:50 FULL MOON
30 06 Mercury at Inferior Conjunction
Oct 02 03:51 Aldebaran 0.5°S of Moon
04 12:06 LAST QUARTER MOON
08 11:32 Venus 0.7°N of Moon: Occn.
08 12:52 Regulus 3.3°N of Moon
08 15:26 Venus 2.5°S of Regulus
09 07:51 Mars 3.4°N of Moon
09 14:30 Jupiter 2.7°N of Moon
11 01:54 Moon at Ascending Node
11 03:00 Mercury 1.0°N of Moon: Occn.
11 04:17 Moon at Apogee: 406389 km
11 18 Uranus at Opposition
12 09 Mercury at Perihelion
12 15:06 NEW MOON
15 18 Mercury at Greatest Elong: 18.1°W
16 04:20 Saturn 3.0°S of Moon
17 12 Mars 0.4°N of Jupiter
20 11:31 FIRST QUARTER MOON
21 14 Orionid Meteor Shower
24 22:36 Moon at Descending Node
25 14 Venus 1.0°S of Jupiter
25 22 Venus at Greatest Elong: 46.4°W
26 03:59 Moon at Perigee: 358464 km
27 03:05 FULL MOON
29 13:45 Aldebaran 0.6°S of Moon
Nov 02 22 Venus 0.7°S of Mars
03 03:24 LAST QUARTER MOON
04 19:19 Regulus 3.2°N of Moon
05 14 S Taurid Meteor Shower
06 06:49 Jupiter 2.3°N of Moon
07 00:56 Mars 1.8°N of Moon
07 04:54 Venus 1.2°N of Moon
07 06:53 Moon at Ascending Node
07 12:48 Moon at Apogee: 405724 km
09 03:27 Spica 4.3°S of Moon
11 08:47 NEW MOON
12 13 N Taurid Meteor Shower
12 16:05 Saturn 3.0°S of Moon
17 06 Mercury at Superior Conjunction
17 20 Leonid Meteor Shower
18 21:27 FIRST QUARTER MOON
20 14 Mars at Aphelion: 1.66606 AU
21 04:56 Moon at Descending Node
23 11:06 Moon at Perigee: 362818 km
25 13:44 FULL MOON
26 00:33 Aldebaran 0.7°S of Moon
28 21 Venus at Perihelion
29 10:20 Venus 3.9°N of Spica
29 15 Saturn in Conjunction with Sun
Dec 02 02:53 Regulus 3.0°N of Moon
02 22:40 LAST QUARTER MOON
03 21:21 Jupiter 1.8°N of Moon
04 09:33 Moon at Ascending Node
05 05:56 Moon at Apogee: 404800 km
05 17:40 Mars 0.1°N of Moon: Occn.
06 10:42 Spica 4.4°S of Moon
07 07:55 Venus 0.7°S of Moon: Occn.
11 01:29 NEW MOON
14 09 Geminid Meteor Shower
18 06:13 Moon at Descending Node
18 06:14 FIRST QUARTER MOON
20 23:53 Moon at Perigee: 368418 km
21 19:48 Winter Solstice
22 17 Ursid Meteor Shower
23 05:18 Mars 3.3°N of Spica
23 10:09 Aldebaran 0.7°S of Moon
25 02:11 FULL MOON
28 18 Mercury at Greatest Elong: 19.7°E
29 11:30 Regulus 2.7°N of Moon
31 08:55 Jupiter 1.5°N of Moon
31 11:19 Moon at Ascending Node
|
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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
2015 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.
| 2015 Phases of the Moon | |||
| Alaska Standard Time | |||
| New Moon | First Quarter | Full Moon | Last Quarter |
| - | - | Jan 04 19:53 | Jan 13 00:47 |
| Jan 20 04:14 | Jan 26 19:48 | Feb 03 14:09 | Feb 11 18:50 |
| Feb 18 14:47 | Feb 25 08:14 | Mar 05 09:06 | Mar 13 08:48 |
| Mar 20 00:36 T | Mar 26 22:43 | Apr 04 03:06 p | Apr 11 18:44 |
| Apr 18 09:57 | Apr 25 14:55 | May 03 18:42 | May 11 01:36 |
| May 17 19:13 | May 25 08:19 | Jun 02 07:19 | Jun 09 06:42 |
| Jun 16 05:05 | Jun 24 02:03 | Jul 01 17:20 | Jul 08 11:24 |
| Jul 15 16:24 | Jul 23 19:04 | Jul 31 01:43 | Aug 06 17:03 |
| Aug 14 05:54 | Aug 22 10:31 | Aug 29 09:35 | Sep 05 00:54 |
| Sep 12 21:41 P | Sep 20 23:59 | Sep 27 17:50 t | Oct 04 12:06 |
| Oct 12 15:06 | Oct 20 11:31 | Oct 27 03:05 | Nov 03 03:24 |
| Nov 11 08:47 | Nov 18 21:27 | Nov 25 13:44 | Dec 02 22:40 |
| Dec 11 01:29 | Dec 18 06:14 | Dec 25 02:11 | - |
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)