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