2016 Sky Event Almanac
Pacific Standard Time
The following table gives the date and time of the important astronomical events for the year. The times listed are for Pacific Standard Time (Coordinated Universal Time − 8 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 | ||||||||
| Pacific Standard Time | ||||||||
| January - June | July - December | |||||||
Date PST Event
(h:m)
Jan 01 21:30 LAST QUARTER MOON
02 03:53 Moon at Apogee: 404279 km
02 15 Earth at Perihelion: 0.98330 AU
03 10:45 Mars 1.5°S of Moon
04 00 Quadrantid Meteor Shower
06 15:57 Venus 3.1°S of Moon
06 20:57 Saturn 3.3°S of Moon
08 10 Mercury at Perihelion
09 00 Venus 0.1°N of Saturn
09 17:30 NEW MOON
14 06 Mercury at Inferior Conjunction
14 07:48 Moon at Descending Node
14 18:10 Moon at Perigee: 369619 km
16 15:26 FIRST QUARTER MOON
19 18:16 Aldebaran 0.5°S of Moon
23 17:46 FULL MOON
25 21:10 Regulus 2.5°N of Moon
27 15:58 Moon at Ascending Node
27 17:14 Jupiter 1.4°N of Moon
30 01:10 Moon at Apogee: 404553 km
31 19:28 LAST QUARTER MOON
Feb 01 00:48 Mars 2.7°S of Moon
03 11:05 Saturn 3.5°S of Moon
05 23:32 Venus 4.3°S of Moon
06 08:47 Mercury 3.8°S of Moon
06 17 Mercury at Greatest Elong: 25.6°W
08 06:39 NEW MOON
10 12:46 Moon at Descending Node
10 18:42 Moon at Perigee: 364358 km
12 19 Mercury 4.0°N of Venus
14 23:46 FIRST QUARTER MOON
15 23:41 Aldebaran 0.3°S of Moon
21 09 Mercury at Aphelion
22 04:48 Regulus 2.5°N of Moon
22 10:20 FULL MOON
23 19:58 Jupiter 1.7°N of Moon
23 22:10 Moon at Ascending Node
26 19:28 Moon at Apogee: 405383 km
28 07 Neptune in Conjunction with Sun
29 10:16 Mars 3.6°S of Moon
Mar 01 15:11 LAST QUARTER MOON
01 22:53 Saturn 3.6°S of Moon
07 02:54 Venus 3.5°S of Moon
08 02 Jupiter at Opposition
08 17:54 NEW MOON
08 17:57 Total Solar Eclipse; mag=1.045
08 22:31 Moon at Descending Node
09 23:02 Moon at Perigee: 359509 km
14 05:44 Aldebaran 0.3°S of Moon
15 09:03 FIRST QUARTER MOON
19 20:31 Vernal Equinox
20 06 Venus at Aphelion
20 11:05 Regulus 2.5°N of Moon
21 19:57 Jupiter 2.1°N of Moon
22 04:59 Moon at Ascending Node
23 03:47 Pen. Lunar Eclipse; mag=0.775
23 04:01 FULL MOON
23 12 Mercury at Superior Conjunction
25 06:16 Moon at Apogee: 406125 km
28 10:45 Mars 4.2°S of Moon
29 06:58 Saturn 3.5°S of Moon
31 07:17 LAST QUARTER MOON
Apr 05 09 Mercury at Perihelion
05 09:27 Moon at Descending Node
06 00:30 Venus 0.7°S of Moon: Occn.
07 03:24 NEW MOON
07 09:36 Moon at Perigee: 357164 km
09 13 Uranus in Conjunction with Sun
10 14:05 Aldebaran 0.4°S of Moon
13 19:59 FIRST QUARTER MOON
16 16:46 Regulus 2.5°N of Moon
17 20:42 Jupiter 2.2°N of Moon
18 06 Mercury at Greatest Elong: 19.9°E
18 10:04 Moon at Ascending Node
21 08:05 Moon at Apogee: 406352 km
21 21:24 FULL MOON
21 21 Lyrid Meteor Shower
25 11:28 Saturn 3.3°S of Moon
27 05:51 Mars 4.8°N of Antares
29 19:29 LAST QUARTER MOON
May 02 17:27 Moon at Descending Node
04 11 Eta-Aquarid Meteor Shower
05 20:14 Moon at Perigee: 357828 km
06 11:30 NEW MOON
08 00:21 Aldebaran 0.5°S of Moon
09 07 Mercury at Inferior Conjunction
13 09:02 FIRST QUARTER MOON
13 23:06 Regulus 2.3°N of Moon
15 01:30 Jupiter 2.0°N of Moon
15 12:39 Moon at Ascending Node
18 14:06 Moon at Apogee: 405934 km
21 13:15 FULL MOON
22 03 Mars at Opposition
22 13:59 Saturn 3.2°S of Moon
29 04:12 LAST QUARTER MOON
29 20:45 Moon at Descending Node
Jun 02 22 Saturn at Opposition
03 01:47 Mercury 0.7°N of Moon: Occn.
03 02:55 Moon at Perigee: 361142 km
04 19:00 NEW MOON
05 01 Mercury at Greatest Elong: 24.2°W
06 14 Venus at Superior Conjunction
10 06:47 Regulus 2.0°N of Moon
11 11:35 Jupiter 1.5°N of Moon
11 14:20 Moon at Ascending Node
12 00:10 FIRST QUARTER MOON
15 04:00 Moon at Apogee: 405022 km
18 16:40 Saturn 3.3°S of Moon
18 19:39 Mercury 3.7°N of Aldebaran
20 03:02 FULL MOON
20 14:35 Summer Solstice
25 21:28 Moon at Descending Node
27 10:19 LAST QUARTER MOON
30 22:45 Moon at Perigee: 365983 km
|
Date PST Event
(h:m)
Jul 01 19:58 Aldebaran 0.4°S of Moon
02 08 Mercury at Perihelion
04 03:01 NEW MOON
04 08 Earth at Aphelion: 1.01675 AU
06 19 Mercury at Superior Conjunction
07 15:33 Regulus 1.8°N of Moon
08 17:41 Moon at Ascending Node
09 02:08 Jupiter 0.9°N of Moon: Occn.
10 15 Venus at Perihelion
11 16:52 FIRST QUARTER MOON
12 21:24 Moon at Apogee: 404272 km
15 21:11 Saturn 3.4°S of Moon
19 14:57 FULL MOON
22 23:49 Moon at Descending Node
26 15:00 LAST QUARTER MOON
27 03:25 Moon at Perigee: 369659 km
27 13 Delta-Aquarid Meteor Shower
29 02:53 Aldebaran 0.3°S of Moon
30 07:55 Mercury 0.3°N of Regulus
Aug 02 12:45 NEW MOON
03 22:19 Venus 2.9°N of Moon
04 00:22 Regulus 1.7°N of Moon
04 14:12 Mercury 0.6°N of Moon: Occn.
04 23:48 Moon at Ascending Node
05 03:57 Venus 1.0°N of Regulus
05 19:28 Jupiter 0.2°N of Moon: Occn.
09 16:05 Moon at Apogee: 404266 km
10 10:21 FIRST QUARTER MOON
12 04:10 Saturn 3.7°S of Moon
12 04 Perseid Meteor Shower
15 08 Mercury at Aphelion
16 13 Mercury at Greatest Elong: 27.4°E
18 01:27 FULL MOON
19 06:14 Moon at Descending Node
19 22 Mercury 3.8°S of Jupiter
21 17:20 Moon at Perigee: 367047 km
23 21:09 Mars 1.8°N of Antares
24 17 Mars 4.3°S of Saturn
24 19:41 LAST QUARTER MOON
25 08:21 Aldebaran 0.2°S of Moon
27 14 Venus 0.1°N of Jupiter
Sep 01 01:03 NEW MOON
01 01:07 Annular Solar Eclipse; mag=0.974
01 07:27 Moon at Ascending Node
02 07 Neptune at Opposition
02 13:53 Jupiter 0.4°S of Moon: Occn.
03 02:33 Venus 1.1°S of Moon: Occn.
06 10:44 Moon at Apogee: 405059 km
08 13:23 Saturn 3.8°S of Moon
09 03:49 FIRST QUARTER MOON
12 16 Mercury at Inferior Conjunction
15 15:55 Moon at Descending Node
16 10:54 Pen. Lunar Eclipse; mag=0.908
16 11:05 FULL MOON
18 07:15 Venus 2.2°N of Spica
18 09:00 Moon at Perigee: 361894 km
21 14:13 Aldebaran 0.2°S of Moon
22 06:21 Autumnal Equinox
23 01:56 LAST QUARTER MOON
25 22 Jupiter in Conjunction with Sun
27 14:32 Regulus 1.7°N of Moon
28 07 Mercury at Perihelion
28 11 Mercury at Greatest Elong: 17.9°W
28 14:06 Moon at Ascending Node
29 02:42 Mercury 0.7°N of Moon: Occn.
30 16:12 NEW MOON
Oct 04 03:02 Moon at Apogee: 406100 km
06 00:04 Saturn 3.8°S of Moon
08 20:33 FIRST QUARTER MOON
13 01:43 Moon at Descending Node
15 02 Uranus at Opposition
15 20:23 FULL MOON
16 15:36 Moon at Perigee: 357860 km
18 22:18 Aldebaran 0.3°S of Moon
20 21 Orionid Meteor Shower
22 11:14 LAST QUARTER MOON
24 20:01 Regulus 1.6°N of Moon
25 17:44 Moon at Ascending Node
26 02:56 Venus 3.0°N of Antares
27 08 Mercury at Superior Conjunction
28 01:33 Jupiter 1.4°S of Moon
29 05 Mars at Perihelion: 1.38124 AU
29 18 Venus 3.0°S of Saturn
30 09:38 NEW MOON
31 11:29 Moon at Apogee: 406660 km
Nov 02 11:38 Saturn 3.7°S of Moon
04 21 S Taurid Meteor Shower
07 11:51 FIRST QUARTER MOON
09 07:57 Moon at Descending Node
11 20 N Taurid Meteor Shower
14 03:23 Moon at Perigee: 356512 km
14 05:52 FULL MOON
15 08:50 Aldebaran 0.4°S of Moon
17 03 Leonid Meteor Shower
21 00:33 LAST QUARTER MOON
21 02:08 Regulus 1.3°N of Moon
21 18:48 Moon at Ascending Node
23 11 Mercury 3.4°S of Saturn
24 17:47 Jupiter 1.9°S of Moon
27 12:08 Moon at Apogee: 406556 km
29 04:18 NEW MOON
Dec 05 02:39 Mars 2.9°S of Moon
06 09:35 Moon at Descending Node
07 01:03 FIRST QUARTER MOON
10 03 Saturn in Conjunction with Sun
10 20 Mercury at Greatest Elong: 20.8°E
12 15:27 Moon at Perigee: 358463 km
12 20:14 Aldebaran 0.5°S of Moon
13 16 Geminid Meteor Shower
13 16:06 FULL MOON
18 10:13 Regulus 1.0°N of Moon
18 20:46 Moon at Ascending Node
20 17:56 LAST QUARTER MOON
21 02:45 Winter Solstice
22 00 Ursid Meteor Shower
22 08:37 Jupiter 2.4°S of Moon
24 21:55 Moon at Apogee: 405870 km
25 07 Mercury at Perihelion
27 13:00 Saturn 3.6°S of Moon
28 11 Mercury at Inferior Conjunction
28 22:53 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
Pacific Standard Time
The following table gives the date and time of the Moon's phases for the year. The times listed are for Pacific Standard Time (Coordinated Universal Time − 8 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 | |||
| Pacific Standard Time | |||
| New Moon | First Quarter | Full Moon | Last Quarter |
| - | - | - | Jan 01 21:30 |
| Jan 09 17:30 | Jan 16 15:26 | Jan 23 17:46 | Jan 31 19:28 |
| Feb 08 06:39 | Feb 14 23:46 | Feb 22 10:20 | Mar 01 15:11 |
| Mar 08 17:54 T | Mar 15 09:03 | Mar 23 04:01 n | Mar 31 07:17 |
| Apr 07 03:24 | Apr 13 19:59 | Apr 21 21:24 | Apr 29 19:29 |
| May 06 11:30 | May 13 09:02 | May 21 13:15 | May 29 04:12 |
| Jun 04 19:00 | Jun 12 00:10 | Jun 20 03:02 | Jun 27 10:19 |
| Jul 04 03:01 | Jul 11 16:52 | Jul 19 14:57 | Jul 26 15:00 |
| Aug 02 12:45 | Aug 10 10:21 | Aug 18 01:27 | Aug 24 19:41 |
| Sep 01 01:03 A | Sep 09 03:49 | Sep 16 11:05 n | Sep 23 01:56 |
| Sep 30 16:12 | Oct 08 20:33 | Oct 15 20:23 | Oct 22 11:14 |
| Oct 30 09:38 | Nov 07 11:51 | Nov 14 05:52 | Nov 21 00:33 |
| Nov 29 04:18 | Dec 07 01:03 | Dec 13 16:06 | Dec 20 17:56 |
| Dec 28 22:53 | - | - | - |
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 |
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)