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