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