2016 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.
| 2016 Sky Event Almanac | ||||||||
| Eastern Standard Time | ||||||||
| January - June | July - December | |||||||
Date EST Event
(h:m)
Jan 02 00:30 LAST QUARTER MOON
02 06:53 Moon at Apogee: 404279 km
02 18 Earth at Perihelion: 0.98330 AU
03 13:45 Mars 1.5°S of Moon
04 03 Quadrantid Meteor Shower
06 18:57 Venus 3.1°S of Moon
06 23:57 Saturn 3.3°S of Moon
08 13 Mercury at Perihelion
09 03 Venus 0.1°N of Saturn
09 20:30 NEW MOON
14 09 Mercury at Inferior Conjunction
14 10:48 Moon at Descending Node
14 21:10 Moon at Perigee: 369619 km
16 18:26 FIRST QUARTER MOON
19 21:16 Aldebaran 0.5°S of Moon
23 20:46 FULL MOON
26 00:10 Regulus 2.5°N of Moon
27 18:58 Moon at Ascending Node
27 20:14 Jupiter 1.4°N of Moon
30 04:10 Moon at Apogee: 404553 km
31 22:28 LAST QUARTER MOON
Feb 01 03:48 Mars 2.7°S of Moon
03 14:05 Saturn 3.5°S of Moon
06 02:32 Venus 4.3°S of Moon
06 11:47 Mercury 3.8°S of Moon
06 20 Mercury at Greatest Elong: 25.6°W
08 09:39 NEW MOON
10 15:46 Moon at Descending Node
10 21:42 Moon at Perigee: 364358 km
12 22 Mercury 4.0°N of Venus
15 02:46 FIRST QUARTER MOON
16 02:41 Aldebaran 0.3°S of Moon
21 12 Mercury at Aphelion
22 07:48 Regulus 2.5°N of Moon
22 13:20 FULL MOON
23 22:58 Jupiter 1.7°N of Moon
24 01:10 Moon at Ascending Node
26 22:28 Moon at Apogee: 405383 km
28 10 Neptune in Conjunction with Sun
29 13:16 Mars 3.6°S of Moon
Mar 01 18:11 LAST QUARTER MOON
02 01:53 Saturn 3.6°S of Moon
07 05:54 Venus 3.5°S of Moon
08 05 Jupiter at Opposition
08 20:54 NEW MOON
08 20:57 Total Solar Eclipse; mag=1.045
09 01:31 Moon at Descending Node
10 02:02 Moon at Perigee: 359509 km
14 08:44 Aldebaran 0.3°S of Moon
15 12:03 FIRST QUARTER MOON
19 23:31 Vernal Equinox
20 09 Venus at Aphelion
20 14:05 Regulus 2.5°N of Moon
21 22:57 Jupiter 2.1°N of Moon
22 07:59 Moon at Ascending Node
23 06:47 Pen. Lunar Eclipse; mag=0.775
23 07:01 FULL MOON
23 15 Mercury at Superior Conjunction
25 09:16 Moon at Apogee: 406125 km
28 13:45 Mars 4.2°S of Moon
29 09:58 Saturn 3.5°S of Moon
31 10:17 LAST QUARTER MOON
Apr 05 12 Mercury at Perihelion
05 12:27 Moon at Descending Node
06 03:30 Venus 0.7°S of Moon: Occn.
07 06:24 NEW MOON
07 12:36 Moon at Perigee: 357164 km
09 16 Uranus in Conjunction with Sun
10 17:05 Aldebaran 0.4°S of Moon
13 22:59 FIRST QUARTER MOON
16 19:46 Regulus 2.5°N of Moon
17 23:42 Jupiter 2.2°N of Moon
18 09 Mercury at Greatest Elong: 19.9°E
18 13:04 Moon at Ascending Node
21 11:05 Moon at Apogee: 406352 km
22 00:24 FULL MOON
22 00 Lyrid Meteor Shower
25 14:28 Saturn 3.3°S of Moon
27 08:51 Mars 4.8°N of Antares
29 22:29 LAST QUARTER MOON
May 02 20:27 Moon at Descending Node
04 14 Eta-Aquarid Meteor Shower
05 23:14 Moon at Perigee: 357828 km
06 14:30 NEW MOON
08 03:21 Aldebaran 0.5°S of Moon
09 10 Mercury at Inferior Conjunction
13 12:02 FIRST QUARTER MOON
14 02:06 Regulus 2.3°N of Moon
15 04:30 Jupiter 2.0°N of Moon
15 15:39 Moon at Ascending Node
18 17:06 Moon at Apogee: 405934 km
21 16:15 FULL MOON
22 06 Mars at Opposition
22 16:59 Saturn 3.2°S of Moon
29 07:12 LAST QUARTER MOON
29 23:45 Moon at Descending Node
Jun 03 01 Saturn at Opposition
03 04:47 Mercury 0.7°N of Moon: Occn.
03 05:55 Moon at Perigee: 361142 km
04 22:00 NEW MOON
05 04 Mercury at Greatest Elong: 24.2°W
06 17 Venus at Superior Conjunction
10 09:47 Regulus 2.0°N of Moon
11 14:35 Jupiter 1.5°N of Moon
11 17:20 Moon at Ascending Node
12 03:10 FIRST QUARTER MOON
15 07:00 Moon at Apogee: 405022 km
18 19:40 Saturn 3.3°S of Moon
18 22:39 Mercury 3.7°N of Aldebaran
20 06:02 FULL MOON
20 17:35 Summer Solstice
26 00:28 Moon at Descending Node
27 13:19 LAST QUARTER MOON
|
Date EST Event
(h:m)
Jul 01 01:45 Moon at Perigee: 365983 km
01 22:58 Aldebaran 0.4°S of Moon
02 11 Mercury at Perihelion
04 06:01 NEW MOON
04 11 Earth at Aphelion: 1.01675 AU
06 22 Mercury at Superior Conjunction
07 18:33 Regulus 1.8°N of Moon
08 20:41 Moon at Ascending Node
09 05:08 Jupiter 0.9°N of Moon: Occn.
10 18 Venus at Perihelion
11 19:52 FIRST QUARTER MOON
13 00:24 Moon at Apogee: 404272 km
16 00:11 Saturn 3.4°S of Moon
19 17:57 FULL MOON
23 02:49 Moon at Descending Node
26 18:00 LAST QUARTER MOON
27 06:25 Moon at Perigee: 369659 km
27 16 Delta-Aquarid Meteor Shower
29 05:53 Aldebaran 0.3°S of Moon
30 10:55 Mercury 0.3°N of Regulus
Aug 02 15:45 NEW MOON
04 01:19 Venus 2.9°N of Moon
04 03:22 Regulus 1.7°N of Moon
04 17:12 Mercury 0.6°N of Moon: Occn.
05 02:48 Moon at Ascending Node
05 06:57 Venus 1.0°N of Regulus
05 22:28 Jupiter 0.2°N of Moon: Occn.
09 19:05 Moon at Apogee: 404266 km
10 13:21 FIRST QUARTER MOON
12 07:10 Saturn 3.7°S of Moon
12 07 Perseid Meteor Shower
15 11 Mercury at Aphelion
16 16 Mercury at Greatest Elong: 27.4°E
18 04:27 FULL MOON
19 09:14 Moon at Descending Node
20 01 Mercury 3.8°S of Jupiter
21 20:20 Moon at Perigee: 367047 km
24 00:09 Mars 1.8°N of Antares
24 20 Mars 4.3°S of Saturn
24 22:41 LAST QUARTER MOON
25 11:21 Aldebaran 0.2°S of Moon
27 17 Venus 0.1°N of Jupiter
Sep 01 04:03 NEW MOON
01 04:07 Annular Solar Eclipse; mag=0.974
01 10:27 Moon at Ascending Node
02 10 Neptune at Opposition
02 16:53 Jupiter 0.4°S of Moon: Occn.
03 05:33 Venus 1.1°S of Moon: Occn.
06 13:44 Moon at Apogee: 405059 km
08 16:23 Saturn 3.8°S of Moon
09 06:49 FIRST QUARTER MOON
12 19 Mercury at Inferior Conjunction
15 18:55 Moon at Descending Node
16 13:54 Pen. Lunar Eclipse; mag=0.908
16 14:05 FULL MOON
18 10:15 Venus 2.2°N of Spica
18 12:00 Moon at Perigee: 361894 km
21 17:13 Aldebaran 0.2°S of Moon
22 09:21 Autumnal Equinox
23 04:56 LAST QUARTER MOON
26 01 Jupiter in Conjunction with Sun
27 17:32 Regulus 1.7°N of Moon
28 10 Mercury at Perihelion
28 14 Mercury at Greatest Elong: 17.9°W
28 17:06 Moon at Ascending Node
29 05:42 Mercury 0.7°N of Moon: Occn.
30 19:12 NEW MOON
Oct 04 06:02 Moon at Apogee: 406100 km
06 03:04 Saturn 3.8°S of Moon
08 23:33 FIRST QUARTER MOON
13 04:43 Moon at Descending Node
15 05 Uranus at Opposition
15 23:23 FULL MOON
16 18:36 Moon at Perigee: 357860 km
19 01:18 Aldebaran 0.3°S of Moon
21 00 Orionid Meteor Shower
22 14:14 LAST QUARTER MOON
24 23:01 Regulus 1.6°N of Moon
25 20:44 Moon at Ascending Node
26 05:56 Venus 3.0°N of Antares
27 11 Mercury at Superior Conjunction
28 04:33 Jupiter 1.4°S of Moon
29 08 Mars at Perihelion: 1.38124 AU
29 21 Venus 3.0°S of Saturn
30 12:38 NEW MOON
31 14:29 Moon at Apogee: 406660 km
Nov 02 14:38 Saturn 3.7°S of Moon
05 00 S Taurid Meteor Shower
07 14:51 FIRST QUARTER MOON
09 10:57 Moon at Descending Node
11 23 N Taurid Meteor Shower
14 06:23 Moon at Perigee: 356512 km
14 08:52 FULL MOON
15 11:50 Aldebaran 0.4°S of Moon
17 06 Leonid Meteor Shower
21 03:33 LAST QUARTER MOON
21 05:08 Regulus 1.3°N of Moon
21 21:48 Moon at Ascending Node
23 14 Mercury 3.4°S of Saturn
24 20:47 Jupiter 1.9°S of Moon
27 15:08 Moon at Apogee: 406556 km
29 07:18 NEW MOON
Dec 05 05:39 Mars 2.9°S of Moon
06 12:35 Moon at Descending Node
07 04:03 FIRST QUARTER MOON
10 06 Saturn in Conjunction with Sun
10 23 Mercury at Greatest Elong: 20.8°E
12 18:27 Moon at Perigee: 358463 km
12 23:14 Aldebaran 0.5°S of Moon
13 19 Geminid Meteor Shower
13 19:06 FULL MOON
18 13:13 Regulus 1.0°N of Moon
18 23:46 Moon at Ascending Node
20 20:56 LAST QUARTER MOON
21 05:45 Winter Solstice
22 03 Ursid Meteor Shower
22 11:37 Jupiter 2.4°S of Moon
25 00:55 Moon at Apogee: 405870 km
25 10 Mercury at Perihelion
27 16:00 Saturn 3.6°S of Moon
28 14 Mercury at Inferior Conjunction
29 01:53 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
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.
| 2016 Phases of the Moon | |||
| Eastern Standard Time | |||
| New Moon | First Quarter | Full Moon | Last Quarter |
| - | - | - | Jan 02 00:30 |
| Jan 09 20:30 | Jan 16 18:26 | Jan 23 20:46 | Jan 31 22:28 |
| Feb 08 09:39 | Feb 15 02:46 | Feb 22 13:20 | Mar 01 18:11 |
| Mar 08 20:54 T | Mar 15 12:03 | Mar 23 07:01 n | Mar 31 10:17 |
| Apr 07 06:24 | Apr 13 22:59 | Apr 22 00:24 | Apr 29 22:29 |
| May 06 14:30 | May 13 12:02 | May 21 16:15 | May 29 07:12 |
| Jun 04 22:00 | Jun 12 03:10 | Jun 20 06:02 | Jun 27 13:19 |
| Jul 04 06:01 | Jul 11 19:52 | Jul 19 17:57 | Jul 26 18:00 |
| Aug 02 15:45 | Aug 10 13:21 | Aug 18 04:27 | Aug 24 22:41 |
| Sep 01 04:03 A | Sep 09 06:49 | Sep 16 14:05 n | Sep 23 04:56 |
| Sep 30 19:12 | Oct 08 23:33 | Oct 15 23:23 | Oct 22 14:14 |
| Oct 30 12:38 | Nov 07 14:51 | Nov 14 08:52 | Nov 21 03:33 |
| Nov 29 07:18 | Dec 07 04:03 | Dec 13 19:06 | Dec 20 20:56 |
| Dec 29 01:53 | - | - | - |
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)