2016 Sky Event Almanac
Atlantic Standard Time
The following table gives the date and time of the important astronomical events for the year. The times listed are for Atlantic Standard Time (Coordinated Universal Time − 4 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.
| 2016 Sky Event Almanac | ||||||||
| Atlantic Standard Time | ||||||||
| January - June | July - December | |||||||
Date AST Event
(h:m)
Jan 02 01:30 LAST QUARTER MOON
02 07:53 Moon at Apogee: 404279 km
02 19 Earth at Perihelion: 0.98330 AU
03 14:45 Mars 1.5°S of Moon
04 04 Quadrantid Meteor Shower
06 19:57 Venus 3.1°S of Moon
07 00:57 Saturn 3.3°S of Moon
08 14 Mercury at Perihelion
09 04 Venus 0.1°N of Saturn
09 21:30 NEW MOON
14 10 Mercury at Inferior Conjunction
14 11:48 Moon at Descending Node
14 22:10 Moon at Perigee: 369619 km
16 19:26 FIRST QUARTER MOON
19 22:16 Aldebaran 0.5°S of Moon
23 21:46 FULL MOON
26 01:10 Regulus 2.5°N of Moon
27 19:58 Moon at Ascending Node
27 21:14 Jupiter 1.4°N of Moon
30 05:10 Moon at Apogee: 404553 km
31 23:28 LAST QUARTER MOON
Feb 01 04:48 Mars 2.7°S of Moon
03 15:05 Saturn 3.5°S of Moon
06 03:32 Venus 4.3°S of Moon
06 12:47 Mercury 3.8°S of Moon
06 21 Mercury at Greatest Elong: 25.6°W
08 10:39 NEW MOON
10 16:46 Moon at Descending Node
10 22:42 Moon at Perigee: 364358 km
12 23 Mercury 4.0°N of Venus
15 03:46 FIRST QUARTER MOON
16 03:41 Aldebaran 0.3°S of Moon
21 13 Mercury at Aphelion
22 08:48 Regulus 2.5°N of Moon
22 14:20 FULL MOON
23 23:58 Jupiter 1.7°N of Moon
24 02:10 Moon at Ascending Node
26 23:28 Moon at Apogee: 405383 km
28 11 Neptune in Conjunction with Sun
29 14:16 Mars 3.6°S of Moon
Mar 01 19:11 LAST QUARTER MOON
02 02:53 Saturn 3.6°S of Moon
07 06:54 Venus 3.5°S of Moon
08 06 Jupiter at Opposition
08 21:54 NEW MOON
08 21:57 Total Solar Eclipse; mag=1.045
09 02:31 Moon at Descending Node
10 03:02 Moon at Perigee: 359509 km
14 09:44 Aldebaran 0.3°S of Moon
15 13:03 FIRST QUARTER MOON
20 00:31 Vernal Equinox
20 10 Venus at Aphelion
20 15:05 Regulus 2.5°N of Moon
21 23:57 Jupiter 2.1°N of Moon
22 08:59 Moon at Ascending Node
23 07:47 Pen. Lunar Eclipse; mag=0.775
23 08:01 FULL MOON
23 16 Mercury at Superior Conjunction
25 10:16 Moon at Apogee: 406125 km
28 14:45 Mars 4.2°S of Moon
29 10:58 Saturn 3.5°S of Moon
31 11:17 LAST QUARTER MOON
Apr 05 13 Mercury at Perihelion
05 13:27 Moon at Descending Node
06 04:30 Venus 0.7°S of Moon: Occn.
07 07:24 NEW MOON
07 13:36 Moon at Perigee: 357164 km
09 17 Uranus in Conjunction with Sun
10 18:05 Aldebaran 0.4°S of Moon
13 23:59 FIRST QUARTER MOON
16 20:46 Regulus 2.5°N of Moon
18 00:42 Jupiter 2.2°N of Moon
18 10 Mercury at Greatest Elong: 19.9°E
18 14:04 Moon at Ascending Node
21 12:05 Moon at Apogee: 406352 km
22 01:24 FULL MOON
22 01 Lyrid Meteor Shower
25 15:28 Saturn 3.3°S of Moon
27 09:51 Mars 4.8°N of Antares
29 23:29 LAST QUARTER MOON
May 02 21:27 Moon at Descending Node
04 15 Eta-Aquarid Meteor Shower
06 00:14 Moon at Perigee: 357828 km
06 15:30 NEW MOON
08 04:21 Aldebaran 0.5°S of Moon
09 11 Mercury at Inferior Conjunction
13 13:02 FIRST QUARTER MOON
14 03:06 Regulus 2.3°N of Moon
15 05:30 Jupiter 2.0°N of Moon
15 16:39 Moon at Ascending Node
18 18:06 Moon at Apogee: 405934 km
21 17:15 FULL MOON
22 07 Mars at Opposition
22 17:59 Saturn 3.2°S of Moon
29 08:12 LAST QUARTER MOON
30 00:45 Moon at Descending Node
Jun 03 02 Saturn at Opposition
03 05:47 Mercury 0.7°N of Moon: Occn.
03 06:55 Moon at Perigee: 361142 km
04 23:00 NEW MOON
05 05 Mercury at Greatest Elong: 24.2°W
06 18 Venus at Superior Conjunction
10 10:47 Regulus 2.0°N of Moon
11 15:35 Jupiter 1.5°N of Moon
11 18:20 Moon at Ascending Node
12 04:10 FIRST QUARTER MOON
15 08:00 Moon at Apogee: 405022 km
18 20:40 Saturn 3.3°S of Moon
18 23:39 Mercury 3.7°N of Aldebaran
20 07:02 FULL MOON
20 18:35 Summer Solstice
26 01:28 Moon at Descending Node
27 14:19 LAST QUARTER MOON
|
Date AST Event
(h:m)
Jul 01 02:45 Moon at Perigee: 365983 km
01 23:58 Aldebaran 0.4°S of Moon
02 12 Mercury at Perihelion
04 07:01 NEW MOON
04 12 Earth at Aphelion: 1.01675 AU
06 23 Mercury at Superior Conjunction
07 19:33 Regulus 1.8°N of Moon
08 21:41 Moon at Ascending Node
09 06:08 Jupiter 0.9°N of Moon: Occn.
10 19 Venus at Perihelion
11 20:52 FIRST QUARTER MOON
13 01:24 Moon at Apogee: 404272 km
16 01:11 Saturn 3.4°S of Moon
19 18:57 FULL MOON
23 03:49 Moon at Descending Node
26 19:00 LAST QUARTER MOON
27 07:25 Moon at Perigee: 369659 km
27 17 Delta-Aquarid Meteor Shower
29 06:53 Aldebaran 0.3°S of Moon
30 11:55 Mercury 0.3°N of Regulus
Aug 02 16:45 NEW MOON
04 02:19 Venus 2.9°N of Moon
04 04:22 Regulus 1.7°N of Moon
04 18:12 Mercury 0.6°N of Moon: Occn.
05 03:48 Moon at Ascending Node
05 07:57 Venus 1.0°N of Regulus
05 23:28 Jupiter 0.2°N of Moon: Occn.
09 20:05 Moon at Apogee: 404266 km
10 14:21 FIRST QUARTER MOON
12 08:10 Saturn 3.7°S of Moon
12 08 Perseid Meteor Shower
15 12 Mercury at Aphelion
16 17 Mercury at Greatest Elong: 27.4°E
18 05:27 FULL MOON
19 10:14 Moon at Descending Node
20 02 Mercury 3.8°S of Jupiter
21 21:20 Moon at Perigee: 367047 km
24 01:09 Mars 1.8°N of Antares
24 21 Mars 4.3°S of Saturn
24 23:41 LAST QUARTER MOON
25 12:21 Aldebaran 0.2°S of Moon
27 18 Venus 0.1°N of Jupiter
Sep 01 05:03 NEW MOON
01 05:07 Annular Solar Eclipse; mag=0.974
01 11:27 Moon at Ascending Node
02 11 Neptune at Opposition
02 17:53 Jupiter 0.4°S of Moon: Occn.
03 06:33 Venus 1.1°S of Moon: Occn.
06 14:44 Moon at Apogee: 405059 km
08 17:23 Saturn 3.8°S of Moon
09 07:49 FIRST QUARTER MOON
12 20 Mercury at Inferior Conjunction
15 19:55 Moon at Descending Node
16 14:54 Pen. Lunar Eclipse; mag=0.908
16 15:05 FULL MOON
18 11:15 Venus 2.2°N of Spica
18 13:00 Moon at Perigee: 361894 km
21 18:13 Aldebaran 0.2°S of Moon
22 10:21 Autumnal Equinox
23 05:56 LAST QUARTER MOON
26 02 Jupiter in Conjunction with Sun
27 18:32 Regulus 1.7°N of Moon
28 11 Mercury at Perihelion
28 15 Mercury at Greatest Elong: 17.9°W
28 18:06 Moon at Ascending Node
29 06:42 Mercury 0.7°N of Moon: Occn.
30 20:12 NEW MOON
Oct 04 07:02 Moon at Apogee: 406100 km
06 04:04 Saturn 3.8°S of Moon
09 00:33 FIRST QUARTER MOON
13 05:43 Moon at Descending Node
15 06 Uranus at Opposition
16 00:23 FULL MOON
16 19:36 Moon at Perigee: 357860 km
19 02:18 Aldebaran 0.3°S of Moon
21 01 Orionid Meteor Shower
22 15:14 LAST QUARTER MOON
25 00:01 Regulus 1.6°N of Moon
25 21:44 Moon at Ascending Node
26 06:56 Venus 3.0°N of Antares
27 12 Mercury at Superior Conjunction
28 05:33 Jupiter 1.4°S of Moon
29 09 Mars at Perihelion: 1.38124 AU
29 22 Venus 3.0°S of Saturn
30 13:38 NEW MOON
31 15:29 Moon at Apogee: 406660 km
Nov 02 15:38 Saturn 3.7°S of Moon
05 01 S Taurid Meteor Shower
07 15:51 FIRST QUARTER MOON
09 11:57 Moon at Descending Node
12 00 N Taurid Meteor Shower
14 07:23 Moon at Perigee: 356512 km
14 09:52 FULL MOON
15 12:50 Aldebaran 0.4°S of Moon
17 07 Leonid Meteor Shower
21 04:33 LAST QUARTER MOON
21 06:08 Regulus 1.3°N of Moon
21 22:48 Moon at Ascending Node
23 15 Mercury 3.4°S of Saturn
24 21:47 Jupiter 1.9°S of Moon
27 16:08 Moon at Apogee: 406556 km
29 08:18 NEW MOON
Dec 05 06:39 Mars 2.9°S of Moon
06 13:35 Moon at Descending Node
07 05:03 FIRST QUARTER MOON
10 07 Saturn in Conjunction with Sun
11 00 Mercury at Greatest Elong: 20.8°E
12 19:27 Moon at Perigee: 358463 km
13 00:14 Aldebaran 0.5°S of Moon
13 20 Geminid Meteor Shower
13 20:06 FULL MOON
18 14:13 Regulus 1.0°N of Moon
19 00:46 Moon at Ascending Node
20 21:56 LAST QUARTER MOON
21 06:45 Winter Solstice
22 04 Ursid Meteor Shower
22 12:37 Jupiter 2.4°S of Moon
25 01:55 Moon at Apogee: 405870 km
25 11 Mercury at Perihelion
27 17:00 Saturn 3.6°S of Moon
28 15 Mercury at Inferior Conjunction
29 02:53 NEW 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
2016 Phases of the Moon
Atlantic Standard Time
The following table gives the date and time of the Moon's phases for the year. The times listed are for Atlantic Standard Time (Coordinated Universal Time − 4 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.
| 2016 Phases of the Moon | |||
| Atlantic Standard Time | |||
| New Moon | First Quarter | Full Moon | Last Quarter |
| - | - | - | Jan 02 01:30 |
| Jan 09 21:30 | Jan 16 19:26 | Jan 23 21:46 | Jan 31 23:28 |
| Feb 08 10:39 | Feb 15 03:46 | Feb 22 14:20 | Mar 01 19:11 |
| Mar 08 21:54 T | Mar 15 13:03 | Mar 23 08:01 n | Mar 31 11:17 |
| Apr 07 07:24 | Apr 13 23:59 | Apr 22 01:24 | Apr 29 23:29 |
| May 06 15:30 | May 13 13:02 | May 21 17:15 | May 29 08:12 |
| Jun 04 23:00 | Jun 12 04:10 | Jun 20 07:02 | Jun 27 14:19 |
| Jul 04 07:01 | Jul 11 20:52 | Jul 19 18:57 | Jul 26 19:00 |
| Aug 02 16:45 | Aug 10 14:21 | Aug 18 05:27 | Aug 24 23:41 |
| Sep 01 05:03 A | Sep 09 07:49 | Sep 16 15:05 n | Sep 23 05:56 |
| Sep 30 20:12 | Oct 09 00:33 | Oct 16 00:23 | Oct 22 15:14 |
| Oct 30 13:38 | Nov 07 15:51 | Nov 14 09:52 | Nov 21 04:33 |
| Nov 29 08:18 | Dec 07 05:03 | Dec 13 20:06 | Dec 20 21:56 |
| Dec 29 02:53 | - | - | - |
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)