2018 Sky Event Almanac
Mountain Standard Time
The following table gives the date and time of the important astronomical events for the year. The times listed are for Mountain Standard Time (Coordinated Universal Time − 7 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.
| 2018 Sky Event Almanac | ||||||||
| Mountain Standard Time | ||||||||
| January - June | July - December | |||||||
Date MST Event
(h:m)
Jan 01 13 Mercury at Greatest Elong: 22.7°W
01 14:54 Moon at Perigee: 356566 km
01 19:24 FULL MOON
02 23 Earth at Perihelion: 0.98329 AU
03 13 Quadrantid Meteor Shower
04 00:48 Moon at Ascending Node
05 00:24 Regulus 0.9°S of Moon
06 18 Mars 0.2°S of Jupiter
08 15:25 LAST QUARTER MOON
08 23 Venus at Superior Conjunction
10 22:59 Jupiter 4.3°S of Moon
13 01 Mercury 0.7°S of Saturn
14 19:10 Moon at Apogee: 406461 km
14 19:13 Saturn 2.6°S of Moon
15 00:24 Mercury 3.4°S of Moon
16 19:17 NEW MOON
18 07:28 Moon at Descending Node
23 10 Venus at Aphelion
24 15:20 FIRST QUARTER MOON
25 04 Mercury at Aphelion
27 03:09 Aldebaran 0.7°S of Moon
30 02:54 Moon at Perigee: 358995 km
31 06:27 FULL MOON
31 06:30 Total Lunar Eclipse; mag=1.315
31 11:46 Moon at Ascending Node
Feb 01 11:24 Regulus 0.9°S of Moon
07 08:54 LAST QUARTER MOON
07 12:47 Jupiter 4.3°S of Moon
08 22:12 Mars 4.4°S of Moon
11 07:16 Moon at Apogee: 405701 km
11 07:46 Saturn 2.5°S of Moon
14 14:11 Moon at Descending Node
15 13:51 Partial Solar Eclipse; mag=0.599
15 14:05 NEW MOON
17 05 Mercury at Superior Conjunction
23 01:09 FIRST QUARTER MOON
23 10:07 Aldebaran 0.7°S of Moon
27 07:48 Moon at Perigee: 363938 km
27 22:03 Moon at Ascending Node
28 22:09 Regulus 0.9°S of Moon
Mar 01 17:51 FULL MOON
04 07 Neptune in Conjunction with Sun
06 23:57 Jupiter 4.1°S of Moon
09 04:20 LAST QUARTER MOON
09 17:37 Mars 3.8°S of Moon
10 04 Mercury at Perihelion
10 19:37 Saturn 2.2°S of Moon
11 02:13 Moon at Apogee: 404682 km
13 20:47 Moon at Descending Node
15 08 Mercury at Greatest Elong: 18.4°E
17 06:12 NEW MOON
18 12:07 Venus 3.7°N of Moon
19 01 Mercury 3.8°N of Venus
20 09:15 Vernal Equinox
22 15:33 Aldebaran 0.9°S of Moon
24 08:35 FIRST QUARTER MOON
26 10:17 Moon at Perigee: 369104 km
27 03:56 Moon at Ascending Node
28 06:38 Regulus 1.0°S of Moon
31 05:37 FULL MOON
Apr 01 11 Mercury at Inferior Conjunction
02 12 Mars 1.3°S of Saturn
03 07:14 Jupiter 3.9°S of Moon
07 05:50 Saturn 1.9°S of Moon
07 11:15 Mars 3.1°S of Moon
07 22:32 Moon at Apogee: 404145 km
08 00:18 LAST QUARTER MOON
10 01:09 Moon at Descending Node
14 02:24 Mercury 3.9°N of Moon
15 18:57 NEW MOON
17 05 Saturn at Aphelion: 10.06564 AU
18 08 Uranus in Conjunction with Sun
18 21:45 Aldebaran 1.1°S of Moon
20 07:44 Moon at Perigee: 368713 km
22 11 Lyrid Meteor Shower
22 14:46 FIRST QUARTER MOON
23 05:19 Moon at Ascending Node
24 09:47 Venus 3.4°S of Pleiades
24 12:39 Regulus 1.2°S of Moon
29 11 Mercury at Greatest Elong: 27.0°W
29 17:58 FULL MOON
30 10:16 Jupiter 3.8°S of Moon
May 04 13:31 Saturn 1.7°S of Moon
05 00 Eta-Aquarid Meteor Shower
05 17:35 Moon at Apogee: 404458 km
06 00:24 Mars 2.7°S of Moon
07 03:23 Moon at Descending Node
07 19:09 LAST QUARTER MOON
08 17 Jupiter at Opposition
13 10:21 Mercury 2.4°N of Moon
15 04:48 NEW MOON
15 18 Venus at Perihelion
16 06:04 Aldebaran 1.2°S of Moon
17 11:11 Venus 4.8°N of Moon
17 14:06 Moon at Perigee: 363777 km
20 06:13 Moon at Ascending Node
21 17:53 Regulus 1.4°S of Moon
21 20:49 FIRST QUARTER MOON
27 10:39 Jupiter 4.0°S of Moon
29 07:20 FULL MOON
31 18:20 Saturn 1.6°S of Moon
Jun 02 09:34 Moon at Apogee: 405316 km
03 04:58 Mars 3.2°S of Moon
03 05:39 Moon at Descending Node
05 19 Mercury at Superior Conjunction
06 03 Mercury at Perihelion
06 11:32 LAST QUARTER MOON
07 20:37 Venus 4.6°S of Pollux
13 12:43 NEW MOON
14 16:55 Moon at Perigee: 359507 km
16 06:13 Venus 2.3°N of Moon
16 10:50 Moon at Ascending Node
18 00:25 Regulus 1.7°S of Moon
20 03:51 FIRST QUARTER MOON
21 03:07 Summer Solstice
23 11:47 Jupiter 4.2°S of Moon
24 14:37 Mercury 4.7°S of Pollux
27 05 Saturn at Opposition
27 20:59 Saturn 1.8°S of Moon
27 21:53 FULL MOON
29 19:43 Moon at Apogee: 406061 km
30 09:44 Moon at Descending Node
|
Date MST Event
(h:m)
Jul 06 00:51 LAST QUARTER MOON
06 10 Earth at Aphelion: 1.01670 AU
09 16:34 Venus 0.9°N of Regulus
10 02:30 Aldebaran 1.1°S of Moon
11 22 Mercury at Greatest Elong: 26.4°E
12 19:48 NEW MOON
12 20:01 Partial Solar Eclipse; mag=0.337
13 01:28 Moon at Perigee: 357432 km
13 19:50 Moon at Ascending Node
14 15:04 Mercury 2.2°S of Moon
15 09:14 Regulus 1.7°S of Moon
15 20:31 Venus 1.6°S of Moon
19 12:52 FIRST QUARTER MOON
20 03 Mercury at Aphelion
20 16:57 Jupiter 4.4°S of Moon
24 23:10 Saturn 2.0°S of Moon
26 23 Mars at Opposition
26 22:44 Moon at Apogee: 406223 km
27 13:20 FULL MOON
27 13:22 Total Lunar Eclipse; mag=1.609
27 15:40 Moon at Descending Node
28 02 Delta-Aquarid Meteor Shower
Aug 04 11:18 LAST QUARTER MOON
06 11:35 Aldebaran 1.1°S of Moon
08 19 Mercury at Inferior Conjunction
10 06:40 Moon at Ascending Node
10 11:05 Moon at Perigee: 358083 km
11 02:46 Partial Solar Eclipse; mag=0.737
11 02:58 NEW MOON
12 18 Perseid Meteor Shower
17 03:38 Jupiter 4.5°S of Moon
17 09 Venus at Greatest Elong: 45.9°E
18 00:49 FIRST QUARTER MOON
21 02:55 Saturn 2.1°S of Moon
23 04:23 Moon at Apogee: 405744 km
23 21:51 Moon at Descending Node
26 04:56 FULL MOON
26 13 Mercury at Greatest Elong: 18.3°W
31 21:45 Venus 1.0°S of Spica
Sep 02 03 Mercury at Perihelion
02 18:34 Aldebaran 1.2°S of Moon
02 19:37 LAST QUARTER MOON
06 15:42 Moon at Ascending Node
07 10 Neptune at Opposition
07 18:21 Moon at Perigee: 361355 km
08 06:13 Regulus 1.7°S of Moon
09 11:01 NEW MOON
13 19:21 Jupiter 4.4°S of Moon
16 06 Mars at Perihelion: 1.38144 AU
16 16:15 FIRST QUARTER MOON
17 09:46 Saturn 2.1°S of Moon
19 17:54 Moon at Apogee: 404875 km
20 02:30 Moon at Descending Node
20 19 Mercury at Superior Conjunction
22 18:54 Autumnal Equinox
24 19:52 FULL MOON
30 00:06 Aldebaran 1.4°S of Moon
Oct 02 02:45 LAST QUARTER MOON
03 20:10 Moon at Ascending Node
05 14:58 Regulus 1.8°S of Moon
05 15:29 Moon at Perigee: 366396 km
08 20:47 NEW MOON
11 14:21 Jupiter 4.1°S of Moon
14 20:01 Saturn 1.8°S of Moon
16 11:02 FIRST QUARTER MOON
17 05:03 Moon at Descending Node
17 12:16 Moon at Apogee: 404227 km
18 06:01 Mars 1.9°S of Moon
21 10 Orionid Meteor Shower
23 18 Uranus at Opposition
24 09:45 FULL MOON
26 07 Venus at Inferior Conjunction
27 06:04 Aldebaran 1.6°S of Moon
28 23 Mercury 3.1°S of Jupiter
30 20:46 Moon at Ascending Node
31 09:40 LAST QUARTER MOON
31 13:05 Moon at Perigee: 370201 km
Nov 01 21:16 Regulus 2.1°S of Moon
05 11 S Taurid Meteor Shower
06 08 Mercury at Greatest Elong: 23.3°E
07 09:02 NEW MOON
08 21:58 Mercury 1.8°N of Antares
11 08:46 Saturn 1.4°S of Moon
12 10 N Taurid Meteor Shower
13 07:04 Moon at Descending Node
14 08:57 Moon at Apogee: 404341 km
14 16:14 Venus 0.2°S of Spica
15 07:54 FIRST QUARTER MOON
15 21:16 Mars 1.0°N of Moon: Occn.
17 16 Leonid Meteor Shower
22 22:39 FULL MOON
23 14:11 Aldebaran 1.7°S of Moon
25 23 Jupiter in Conjunction with Sun
26 05:10 Moon at Perigee: 366623 km
26 22:18 Moon at Ascending Node
27 02 Mercury at Inferior Conjunction
29 02 Mercury at Perihelion
29 02:27 Regulus 2.3°S of Moon
29 17:19 LAST QUARTER MOON
Dec 03 11:42 Venus 3.6°S of Moon
05 14:06 Mercury 1.9°S of Moon
07 00:20 NEW MOON
08 22:30 Saturn 1.1°S of Moon: Occn.
10 10:57 Moon at Descending Node
12 05:25 Moon at Apogee: 405177 km
14 05 Geminid Meteor Shower
14 16:21 Mars 3.6°N of Moon
15 04 Mercury at Greatest Elong: 21.3°W
15 04:49 FIRST QUARTER MOON
21 00:31 Aldebaran 1.7°S of Moon
21 13 Mercury 0.8°N of Jupiter
21 15:22 Winter Solstice
22 10:49 FULL MOON
22 14 Ursid Meteor Shower
24 02:52 Moon at Perigee: 361060 km
24 04:54 Moon at Ascending Node
26 09:06 Regulus 2.5°S of Moon
26 11 Venus at Perihelion
29 02:34 LAST QUARTER 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
2018 Phases of the Moon
Mountain Standard Time
The following table gives the date and time of the Moon's phases for the year. The times listed are for Mountain Standard Time (Coordinated Universal Time − 7 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.
| 2018 Phases of the Moon | |||
| Mountain Standard Time | |||
| New Moon | First Quarter | Full Moon | Last Quarter |
| - | - | Jan 01 19:24 | Jan 08 15:25 |
| Jan 16 19:17 | Jan 24 15:20 | Jan 31 06:27 t | Feb 07 08:54 |
| Feb 15 14:05 P | Feb 23 01:09 | Mar 01 17:51 | Mar 09 04:20 |
| Mar 17 06:12 | Mar 24 08:35 | Mar 31 05:37 | Apr 08 00:18 |
| Apr 15 18:57 | Apr 22 14:46 | Apr 29 17:58 | May 07 19:09 |
| May 15 04:48 | May 21 20:49 | May 29 07:20 | Jun 06 11:32 |
| Jun 13 12:43 | Jun 20 03:51 | Jun 27 21:53 | Jul 06 00:51 |
| Jul 12 19:48 P | Jul 19 12:52 | Jul 27 13:20 t | Aug 04 11:18 |
| Aug 11 02:58 P | Aug 18 00:49 | Aug 26 04:56 | Sep 02 19:37 |
| Sep 09 11:01 | Sep 16 16:15 | Sep 24 19:53 | Oct 02 02:45 |
| Oct 08 20:47 | Oct 16 11:02 | Oct 24 09:45 | Oct 31 09:40 |
| Nov 07 09:02 | Nov 15 07:54 | Nov 22 22:39 | Nov 29 17:19 |
| Dec 07 00:20 | Dec 15 04:49 | Dec 22 10:49 | Dec 29 02:34 |
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)