2015 Sky Event Almanac
Central Standard Time
The following table gives the date and time of the important astronomical events for the year. The times listed are for Central Standard Time (Coordinated Universal Time − 6 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 | ||||||||
| Central Standard Time | ||||||||
| January - June | July - December | |||||||
Date CST Event
(h:m)
Jan 02 05:35 Aldebaran 1.4°S of Moon
03 20 Quadrantid Meteor Shower
04 00 Earth at Perihelion: 0.98328 AU
04 22:53 FULL MOON
08 19:34 Regulus 4.1°N of Moon
09 12:17 Moon at Apogee: 405411 km
10 19 Mercury 0.6°N of Venus
12 09:33 Moon at Ascending Node
13 03:27 Spica 3.1°S of Moon
13 03:47 LAST QUARTER MOON
14 14 Mercury at Greatest Elong: 18.9°E
16 05:52 Saturn 1.9°S of Moon
20 07:14 NEW MOON
21 11:39 Mercury 3.0°S of Moon
21 14:06 Moon at Perigee: 359643 km
21 15 Mercury at Perihelion
22 22:40 Mars 3.9°S of Moon
25 04:23 Moon at Descending Node
26 22:48 FIRST QUARTER MOON
29 11:07 Aldebaran 1.2°S of Moon
30 08 Mercury at Inferior Conjunction
Feb 03 17:09 FULL MOON
05 02:17 Regulus 4.0°N of Moon
06 00:25 Moon at Apogee: 406155 km
06 11 Jupiter at Opposition
08 11:10 Moon at Ascending Node
09 10:23 Spica 3.3°S of Moon
11 21:50 LAST QUARTER MOON
12 18:10 Saturn 2.1°S of Moon
17 00:20 Mercury 3.5°S of Moon
18 17:47 NEW MOON
19 01:29 Moon at Perigee: 356992 km
20 18:56 Venus 2.0°S of Moon
20 19:28 Mars 1.5°S of Moon
21 10:05 Moon at Descending Node
21 23 Venus 0.4°S of Mars
24 10 Mercury at Greatest Elong: 26.7°W
25 11:14 FIRST QUARTER MOON
25 17:02 Aldebaran 1.0°S of Moon
25 22 Neptune in Conjunction with Sun
Mar 04 08:29 Regulus 4.0°N of Moon
05 01:35 Moon at Apogee: 406386 km
05 12:05 FULL MOON
06 14 Mercury at Aphelion
07 15:04 Moon at Ascending Node
08 16:21 Spica 3.4°S of Moon
12 02:25 Saturn 2.3°S of Moon
13 11:48 LAST QUARTER MOON
19 13:38 Moon at Perigee: 357584 km
20 03:36 NEW MOON
20 03:46 Total Solar Eclipse; mag=1.045
20 16:45 Vernal Equinox
20 20:19 Moon at Descending Node
21 16:13 Mars 1.0°N of Moon: Occn.
22 13:51 Venus 2.8°N of Moon
25 00:55 Aldebaran 0.9°S of Moon
27 01:43 FIRST QUARTER MOON
31 14:45 Regulus 4.0°N of Moon
Apr 01 06:59 Moon at Apogee: 406012 km
03 21:17 Moon at Ascending Node
04 06:00 Total Lunar Eclipse; mag=1.001
04 06:06 FULL MOON
04 22:21 Spica 3.5°S of Moon
06 08 Uranus in Conjunction with Sun
08 07:08 Saturn 2.2°S of Moon
09 22 Mercury at Superior Conjunction
11 09:28 Venus 2.5°S of Pleiades
11 21:44 LAST QUARTER MOON
16 21:53 Moon at Perigee: 361026 km
17 07:07 Moon at Descending Node
18 07 Venus at Perihelion
18 12:57 NEW MOON
19 14 Mercury at Perihelion
21 10:35 Aldebaran 0.9°S of Moon
22 17 Lyrid Meteor Shower
25 17:55 FIRST QUARTER MOON
27 21:38 Regulus 4.0°N of Moon
28 21:55 Moon at Apogee: 405085 km
30 19:29 Mercury 1.6°S of Pleiades
May 01 03:50 Moon at Ascending Node
02 05:10 Spica 3.5°S of Moon
03 21:42 FULL MOON
05 07 Eta-Aquarid Meteor Shower
05 10:19 Saturn 2.0°S of Moon
06 23 Mercury at Greatest Elong: 21.2°E
11 04:36 LAST QUARTER MOON
14 14:37 Moon at Descending Node
14 18:23 Moon at Perigee: 366024 km
17 22:13 NEW MOON
22 19 Saturn at Opposition
25 05:14 Regulus 3.8°N of Moon
25 11:19 FIRST QUARTER MOON
26 16:12 Moon at Apogee: 404246 km
28 08:40 Moon at Ascending Node
29 11:27 Venus 3.9°S of Pollux
29 12:52 Spica 3.6°S of Moon
30 11 Mercury at Inferior Conjunction
Jun 01 14:02 Saturn 1.9°S of Moon
02 10:19 FULL MOON
06 13 Venus at Greatest Elong: 45.4°E
09 09:42 LAST QUARTER MOON
09 22:39 Moon at Perigee: 369713 km
10 17:30 Moon at Descending Node
14 09 Mars in Conjunction with Sun
14 20:26 Mercury 0.0°N of Moon: Occn.
15 05:11 Aldebaran 1.0°S of Moon
16 08:05 NEW MOON
21 10:38 Summer Solstice
21 13:10 Regulus 3.6°N of Moon
23 03:37 Mercury 1.8°N of Aldebaran
23 11:01 Moon at Apogee: 404134 km
24 05:03 FIRST QUARTER MOON
24 11 Mercury at Greatest Elong: 22.5°W
24 11:23 Moon at Ascending Node
25 20:58 Spica 3.8°S of Moon
28 19:27 Saturn 2.0°S of Moon
30 20 Venus 0.3°S of Jupiter
|
Date CST Event
(h:m)
Jul 01 20:20 FULL MOON
05 12:54 Moon at Perigee: 367095 km
06 13 Earth at Aphelion: 1.01668 AU
07 18:07 Moon at Descending Node
08 14:24 LAST QUARTER MOON
12 11:55 Aldebaran 0.9°S of Moon
14 15:15 Venus 1.5°S of Regulus
15 19:24 NEW MOON
16 13 Mercury at Perihelion
18 11:34 Jupiter 4.1°N of Moon
18 19:06 Venus 0.4°N of Moon: Occn.
18 20:49 Regulus 3.4°N of Moon
21 05:02 Moon at Apogee: 404837 km
21 13:32 Moon at Ascending Node
23 04:45 Spica 4.0°S of Moon
23 13 Mercury at Superior Conjunction
23 22:04 FIRST QUARTER MOON
26 02:43 Saturn 2.2°S of Moon
28 08 Delta-Aquarid Meteor Shower
31 04:43 FULL MOON
Aug 02 04:11 Moon at Perigee: 362135 km
03 20:53 Moon at Descending Node
06 20:03 LAST QUARTER MOON
07 11:25 Mercury 0.8°N of Regulus
08 16 Venus at Aphelion
08 17:22 Aldebaran 0.7°S of Moon
13 00 Perseid Meteor Shower
14 08:54 NEW MOON
15 13 Venus at Inferior Conjunction
16 08:34 Mercury 2.0°N of Moon
17 17:05 Moon at Ascending Node
17 20:33 Moon at Apogee: 405852 km
19 11:46 Spica 4.2°S of Moon
22 11:21 Saturn 2.6°S of Moon
22 13:31 FIRST QUARTER MOON
26 15 Jupiter in Conjunction with Sun
29 12:35 FULL MOON
29 13 Mercury at Aphelion
30 09:24 Moon at Perigee: 358289 km
31 04:16 Moon at Descending Node
31 20 Neptune at Opposition
Sep 04 04 Mercury at Greatest Elong: 27.1°E
04 23:09 Aldebaran 0.6°S of Moon
05 03:54 LAST QUARTER MOON
09 23:53 Venus 2.7°S of Moon
11 09:56 Regulus 3.3°N of Moon
13 00:41 NEW MOON
13 00:54 Partial Solar Eclipse; mag=0.788
13 22:38 Moon at Ascending Node
14 05:28 Moon at Apogee: 406466 km
15 18:00 Spica 4.3°S of Moon
18 20:54 Saturn 2.8°S of Moon
21 02:59 FIRST QUARTER MOON
23 02:20 Autumnal Equinox
24 13:38 Mars 0.7°N of Regulus
27 15:04 Moon at Descending Node
27 19:46 Moon at Perigee: 356877 km
27 20:47 Total Lunar Eclipse; mag=1.276
27 20:50 FULL MOON
30 09 Mercury at Inferior Conjunction
Oct 02 06:51 Aldebaran 0.5°S of Moon
04 15:06 LAST QUARTER MOON
08 14:32 Venus 0.7°N of Moon: Occn.
08 15:52 Regulus 3.3°N of Moon
08 18:26 Venus 2.5°S of Regulus
09 10:51 Mars 3.4°N of Moon
09 17:30 Jupiter 2.7°N of Moon
11 04:54 Moon at Ascending Node
11 06:00 Mercury 1.0°N of Moon: Occn.
11 07:17 Moon at Apogee: 406389 km
11 21 Uranus at Opposition
12 12 Mercury at Perihelion
12 18:06 NEW MOON
15 21 Mercury at Greatest Elong: 18.1°W
16 07:20 Saturn 3.0°S of Moon
17 15 Mars 0.4°N of Jupiter
20 14:31 FIRST QUARTER MOON
21 17 Orionid Meteor Shower
25 01:36 Moon at Descending Node
25 17 Venus 1.0°S of Jupiter
26 01 Venus at Greatest Elong: 46.4°W
26 06:59 Moon at Perigee: 358464 km
27 06:05 FULL MOON
29 16:45 Aldebaran 0.6°S of Moon
Nov 03 01 Venus 0.7°S of Mars
03 06:24 LAST QUARTER MOON
04 22:19 Regulus 3.2°N of Moon
05 17 S Taurid Meteor Shower
06 09:49 Jupiter 2.3°N of Moon
07 03:56 Mars 1.8°N of Moon
07 07:54 Venus 1.2°N of Moon
07 09:53 Moon at Ascending Node
07 15:48 Moon at Apogee: 405724 km
09 06:27 Spica 4.3°S of Moon
11 11:47 NEW MOON
12 16 N Taurid Meteor Shower
12 19:05 Saturn 3.0°S of Moon
17 09 Mercury at Superior Conjunction
17 23 Leonid Meteor Shower
19 00:27 FIRST QUARTER MOON
20 17 Mars at Aphelion: 1.66606 AU
21 07:56 Moon at Descending Node
23 14:06 Moon at Perigee: 362818 km
25 16:44 FULL MOON
26 03:33 Aldebaran 0.7°S of Moon
29 00 Venus at Perihelion
29 13:20 Venus 3.9°N of Spica
29 18 Saturn in Conjunction with Sun
Dec 02 05:53 Regulus 3.0°N of Moon
03 01:40 LAST QUARTER MOON
04 00:21 Jupiter 1.8°N of Moon
04 12:33 Moon at Ascending Node
05 08:56 Moon at Apogee: 404800 km
05 20:40 Mars 0.1°N of Moon: Occn.
06 13:42 Spica 4.4°S of Moon
07 10:55 Venus 0.7°S of Moon: Occn.
11 04:29 NEW MOON
14 12 Geminid Meteor Shower
18 09:13 Moon at Descending Node
18 09:14 FIRST QUARTER MOON
21 02:53 Moon at Perigee: 368418 km
21 22:48 Winter Solstice
22 20 Ursid Meteor Shower
23 08:18 Mars 3.3°N of Spica
23 13:09 Aldebaran 0.7°S of Moon
25 05:11 FULL MOON
28 21 Mercury at Greatest Elong: 19.7°E
29 14:30 Regulus 2.7°N of Moon
31 11:55 Jupiter 1.5°N of Moon
31 14:19 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
Central Standard Time
The following table gives the date and time of the Moon's phases for the year. The times listed are for Central Standard Time (Coordinated Universal Time − 6 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 | |||
| Central Standard Time | |||
| New Moon | First Quarter | Full Moon | Last Quarter |
| - | - | Jan 04 22:53 | Jan 13 03:47 |
| Jan 20 07:14 | Jan 26 22:48 | Feb 03 17:09 | Feb 11 21:50 |
| Feb 18 17:47 | Feb 25 11:14 | Mar 05 12:06 | Mar 13 11:48 |
| Mar 20 03:36 T | Mar 27 01:43 | Apr 04 06:06 p | Apr 11 21:44 |
| Apr 18 12:57 | Apr 25 17:55 | May 03 21:42 | May 11 04:36 |
| May 17 22:13 | May 25 11:19 | Jun 02 10:19 | Jun 09 09:42 |
| Jun 16 08:05 | Jun 24 05:03 | Jul 01 20:20 | Jul 08 14:24 |
| Jul 15 19:24 | Jul 23 22:04 | Jul 31 04:43 | Aug 06 20:03 |
| Aug 14 08:54 | Aug 22 13:31 | Aug 29 12:35 | Sep 05 03:54 |
| Sep 13 00:41 P | Sep 21 02:59 | Sep 27 20:50 t | Oct 04 15:06 |
| Oct 12 18:06 | Oct 20 14:31 | Oct 27 06:05 | Nov 03 06:24 |
| Nov 11 11:47 | Nov 19 00:27 | Nov 25 16:44 | Dec 03 01:40 |
| Dec 11 04:29 | Dec 18 09:14 | Dec 25 05:11 | - |
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)