2015 Sky Event Almanac
Eastern Standard Time
The following table gives the date and time of the important astronomical events for the year. The times listed are for Eastern Standard Time (Coordinated Universal Time − 5 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 | ||||||||
| Eastern Standard Time | ||||||||
| January - June | July - December | |||||||
Date EST Event
(h:m)
Jan 02 06:35 Aldebaran 1.4°S of Moon
03 21 Quadrantid Meteor Shower
04 01 Earth at Perihelion: 0.98328 AU
04 23:53 FULL MOON
08 20:34 Regulus 4.1°N of Moon
09 13:17 Moon at Apogee: 405411 km
10 20 Mercury 0.6°N of Venus
12 10:33 Moon at Ascending Node
13 04:27 Spica 3.1°S of Moon
13 04:47 LAST QUARTER MOON
14 15 Mercury at Greatest Elong: 18.9°E
16 06:52 Saturn 1.9°S of Moon
20 08:14 NEW MOON
21 12:39 Mercury 3.0°S of Moon
21 15:06 Moon at Perigee: 359643 km
21 16 Mercury at Perihelion
22 23:40 Mars 3.9°S of Moon
25 05:23 Moon at Descending Node
26 23:48 FIRST QUARTER MOON
29 12:07 Aldebaran 1.2°S of Moon
30 09 Mercury at Inferior Conjunction
Feb 03 18:09 FULL MOON
05 03:17 Regulus 4.0°N of Moon
06 01:25 Moon at Apogee: 406155 km
06 12 Jupiter at Opposition
08 12:10 Moon at Ascending Node
09 11:23 Spica 3.3°S of Moon
11 22:50 LAST QUARTER MOON
12 19:10 Saturn 2.1°S of Moon
17 01:20 Mercury 3.5°S of Moon
18 18:47 NEW MOON
19 02:29 Moon at Perigee: 356992 km
20 19:56 Venus 2.0°S of Moon
20 20:28 Mars 1.5°S of Moon
21 11:05 Moon at Descending Node
22 00 Venus 0.4°S of Mars
24 11 Mercury at Greatest Elong: 26.7°W
25 12:14 FIRST QUARTER MOON
25 18:02 Aldebaran 1.0°S of Moon
25 23 Neptune in Conjunction with Sun
Mar 04 09:29 Regulus 4.0°N of Moon
05 02:35 Moon at Apogee: 406386 km
05 13:05 FULL MOON
06 15 Mercury at Aphelion
07 16:04 Moon at Ascending Node
08 17:21 Spica 3.4°S of Moon
12 03:25 Saturn 2.3°S of Moon
13 12:48 LAST QUARTER MOON
19 14:38 Moon at Perigee: 357584 km
20 04:36 NEW MOON
20 04:46 Total Solar Eclipse; mag=1.045
20 17:45 Vernal Equinox
20 21:19 Moon at Descending Node
21 17:13 Mars 1.0°N of Moon: Occn.
22 14:51 Venus 2.8°N of Moon
25 01:55 Aldebaran 0.9°S of Moon
27 02:43 FIRST QUARTER MOON
31 15:45 Regulus 4.0°N of Moon
Apr 01 07:59 Moon at Apogee: 406012 km
03 22:17 Moon at Ascending Node
04 07:00 Total Lunar Eclipse; mag=1.001
04 07:06 FULL MOON
04 23:21 Spica 3.5°S of Moon
06 09 Uranus in Conjunction with Sun
08 08:08 Saturn 2.2°S of Moon
09 23 Mercury at Superior Conjunction
11 10:28 Venus 2.5°S of Pleiades
11 22:44 LAST QUARTER MOON
16 22:53 Moon at Perigee: 361026 km
17 08:07 Moon at Descending Node
18 08 Venus at Perihelion
18 13:57 NEW MOON
19 15 Mercury at Perihelion
21 11:35 Aldebaran 0.9°S of Moon
22 18 Lyrid Meteor Shower
25 18:55 FIRST QUARTER MOON
27 22:38 Regulus 4.0°N of Moon
28 22:55 Moon at Apogee: 405085 km
30 20:29 Mercury 1.6°S of Pleiades
May 01 04:50 Moon at Ascending Node
02 06:10 Spica 3.5°S of Moon
03 22:42 FULL MOON
05 08 Eta-Aquarid Meteor Shower
05 11:19 Saturn 2.0°S of Moon
07 00 Mercury at Greatest Elong: 21.2°E
11 05:36 LAST QUARTER MOON
14 15:37 Moon at Descending Node
14 19:23 Moon at Perigee: 366024 km
17 23:13 NEW MOON
22 20 Saturn at Opposition
25 06:14 Regulus 3.8°N of Moon
25 12:19 FIRST QUARTER MOON
26 17:12 Moon at Apogee: 404246 km
28 09:40 Moon at Ascending Node
29 12:27 Venus 3.9°S of Pollux
29 13:52 Spica 3.6°S of Moon
30 12 Mercury at Inferior Conjunction
Jun 01 15:02 Saturn 1.9°S of Moon
02 11:19 FULL MOON
06 14 Venus at Greatest Elong: 45.4°E
09 10:42 LAST QUARTER MOON
09 23:39 Moon at Perigee: 369713 km
10 18:30 Moon at Descending Node
14 10 Mars in Conjunction with Sun
14 21:26 Mercury 0.0°N of Moon: Occn.
15 06:11 Aldebaran 1.0°S of Moon
16 09:05 NEW MOON
21 11:38 Summer Solstice
21 14:10 Regulus 3.6°N of Moon
23 04:37 Mercury 1.8°N of Aldebaran
23 12:01 Moon at Apogee: 404134 km
24 06:03 FIRST QUARTER MOON
24 12 Mercury at Greatest Elong: 22.5°W
24 12:23 Moon at Ascending Node
25 21:58 Spica 3.8°S of Moon
28 20:27 Saturn 2.0°S of Moon
30 21 Venus 0.3°S of Jupiter
|
Date EST Event
(h:m)
Jul 01 21:20 FULL MOON
05 13:54 Moon at Perigee: 367095 km
06 14 Earth at Aphelion: 1.01668 AU
07 19:07 Moon at Descending Node
08 15:24 LAST QUARTER MOON
12 12:55 Aldebaran 0.9°S of Moon
14 16:15 Venus 1.5°S of Regulus
15 20:24 NEW MOON
16 14 Mercury at Perihelion
18 12:34 Jupiter 4.1°N of Moon
18 20:06 Venus 0.4°N of Moon: Occn.
18 21:49 Regulus 3.4°N of Moon
21 06:02 Moon at Apogee: 404837 km
21 14:32 Moon at Ascending Node
23 05:45 Spica 4.0°S of Moon
23 14 Mercury at Superior Conjunction
23 23:04 FIRST QUARTER MOON
26 03:43 Saturn 2.2°S of Moon
28 09 Delta-Aquarid Meteor Shower
31 05:43 FULL MOON
Aug 02 05:11 Moon at Perigee: 362135 km
03 21:53 Moon at Descending Node
06 21:03 LAST QUARTER MOON
07 12:25 Mercury 0.8°N of Regulus
08 17 Venus at Aphelion
08 18:22 Aldebaran 0.7°S of Moon
13 01 Perseid Meteor Shower
14 09:54 NEW MOON
15 14 Venus at Inferior Conjunction
16 09:34 Mercury 2.0°N of Moon
17 18:05 Moon at Ascending Node
17 21:33 Moon at Apogee: 405852 km
19 12:46 Spica 4.2°S of Moon
22 12:21 Saturn 2.6°S of Moon
22 14:31 FIRST QUARTER MOON
26 16 Jupiter in Conjunction with Sun
29 13:35 FULL MOON
29 14 Mercury at Aphelion
30 10:24 Moon at Perigee: 358289 km
31 05:16 Moon at Descending Node
31 21 Neptune at Opposition
Sep 04 05 Mercury at Greatest Elong: 27.1°E
05 00:09 Aldebaran 0.6°S of Moon
05 04:54 LAST QUARTER MOON
10 00:53 Venus 2.7°S of Moon
11 10:56 Regulus 3.3°N of Moon
13 01:41 NEW MOON
13 01:54 Partial Solar Eclipse; mag=0.788
13 23:38 Moon at Ascending Node
14 06:28 Moon at Apogee: 406466 km
15 19:00 Spica 4.3°S of Moon
18 21:54 Saturn 2.8°S of Moon
21 03:59 FIRST QUARTER MOON
23 03:20 Autumnal Equinox
24 14:38 Mars 0.7°N of Regulus
27 16:04 Moon at Descending Node
27 20:46 Moon at Perigee: 356877 km
27 21:47 Total Lunar Eclipse; mag=1.276
27 21:50 FULL MOON
30 10 Mercury at Inferior Conjunction
Oct 02 07:51 Aldebaran 0.5°S of Moon
04 16:06 LAST QUARTER MOON
08 15:32 Venus 0.7°N of Moon: Occn.
08 16:52 Regulus 3.3°N of Moon
08 19:26 Venus 2.5°S of Regulus
09 11:51 Mars 3.4°N of Moon
09 18:30 Jupiter 2.7°N of Moon
11 05:54 Moon at Ascending Node
11 07:00 Mercury 1.0°N of Moon: Occn.
11 08:17 Moon at Apogee: 406389 km
11 22 Uranus at Opposition
12 13 Mercury at Perihelion
12 19:06 NEW MOON
15 22 Mercury at Greatest Elong: 18.1°W
16 08:20 Saturn 3.0°S of Moon
17 16 Mars 0.4°N of Jupiter
20 15:31 FIRST QUARTER MOON
21 18 Orionid Meteor Shower
25 02:36 Moon at Descending Node
25 18 Venus 1.0°S of Jupiter
26 02 Venus at Greatest Elong: 46.4°W
26 07:59 Moon at Perigee: 358464 km
27 07:05 FULL MOON
29 17:45 Aldebaran 0.6°S of Moon
Nov 03 02 Venus 0.7°S of Mars
03 07:24 LAST QUARTER MOON
04 23:19 Regulus 3.2°N of Moon
05 18 S Taurid Meteor Shower
06 10:49 Jupiter 2.3°N of Moon
07 04:56 Mars 1.8°N of Moon
07 08:54 Venus 1.2°N of Moon
07 10:53 Moon at Ascending Node
07 16:48 Moon at Apogee: 405724 km
09 07:27 Spica 4.3°S of Moon
11 12:47 NEW MOON
12 17 N Taurid Meteor Shower
12 20:05 Saturn 3.0°S of Moon
17 10 Mercury at Superior Conjunction
18 00 Leonid Meteor Shower
19 01:27 FIRST QUARTER MOON
20 18 Mars at Aphelion: 1.66606 AU
21 08:56 Moon at Descending Node
23 15:06 Moon at Perigee: 362818 km
25 17:44 FULL MOON
26 04:33 Aldebaran 0.7°S of Moon
29 01 Venus at Perihelion
29 14:20 Venus 3.9°N of Spica
29 19 Saturn in Conjunction with Sun
Dec 02 06:53 Regulus 3.0°N of Moon
03 02:40 LAST QUARTER MOON
04 01:21 Jupiter 1.8°N of Moon
04 13:33 Moon at Ascending Node
05 09:56 Moon at Apogee: 404800 km
05 21:40 Mars 0.1°N of Moon: Occn.
06 14:42 Spica 4.4°S of Moon
07 11:55 Venus 0.7°S of Moon: Occn.
11 05:29 NEW MOON
14 13 Geminid Meteor Shower
18 10:13 Moon at Descending Node
18 10:14 FIRST QUARTER MOON
21 03:53 Moon at Perigee: 368418 km
21 23:48 Winter Solstice
22 21 Ursid Meteor Shower
23 09:18 Mars 3.3°N of Spica
23 14:09 Aldebaran 0.7°S of Moon
25 06:11 FULL MOON
28 22 Mercury at Greatest Elong: 19.7°E
29 15:30 Regulus 2.7°N of Moon
31 12:55 Jupiter 1.5°N of Moon
31 15:19 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
Eastern Standard Time
The following table gives the date and time of the Moon's phases for the year. The times listed are for Eastern Standard Time (Coordinated Universal Time − 5 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 | |||
| Eastern Standard Time | |||
| New Moon | First Quarter | Full Moon | Last Quarter |
| - | - | Jan 04 23:53 | Jan 13 04:47 |
| Jan 20 08:14 | Jan 26 23:48 | Feb 03 18:09 | Feb 11 22:50 |
| Feb 18 18:47 | Feb 25 12:14 | Mar 05 13:06 | Mar 13 12:48 |
| Mar 20 04:36 T | Mar 27 02:43 | Apr 04 07:06 p | Apr 11 22:44 |
| Apr 18 13:57 | Apr 25 18:55 | May 03 22:42 | May 11 05:36 |
| May 17 23:13 | May 25 12:19 | Jun 02 11:19 | Jun 09 10:42 |
| Jun 16 09:05 | Jun 24 06:03 | Jul 01 21:20 | Jul 08 15:24 |
| Jul 15 20:24 | Jul 23 23:04 | Jul 31 05:43 | Aug 06 21:03 |
| Aug 14 09:54 | Aug 22 14:31 | Aug 29 13:35 | Sep 05 04:54 |
| Sep 13 01:41 P | Sep 21 03:59 | Sep 27 21:50 t | Oct 04 16:06 |
| Oct 12 19:06 | Oct 20 15:31 | Oct 27 07:05 | Nov 03 07:24 |
| Nov 11 12:47 | Nov 19 01:27 | Nov 25 17:44 | Dec 03 02:40 |
| Dec 11 05:29 | Dec 18 10:14 | Dec 25 06:11 | - |
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)