2020 Sky Event Almanac
Central European Time
The following table gives the date and time of the important astronomical events for the year. The times listed are for Central European Time (Coordinated Universal Time + 1 hour) . 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.
| 2020 Sky Event Almanac | ||||||||
| Central European Time | ||||||||
| January - June | July - December | |||||||
Date CET Event
(h:m)
Jan 02 02:30 Moon at Apogee: 404580 km
03 05:45 FIRST QUARTER MOON
04 10 Quadrantid Meteor Shower
05 09 Earth at Perihelion: 0.98324 AU
07 22:09 Aldebaran 3.0°S of Moon
10 00:29 Moon at Ascending Node
10 16 Mercury at Superior Conjunction
10 20:10 Pen. Lunar Eclipse; mag=0.896
10 20:21 FULL MOON
13 12:37 Regulus 3.8°S of Moon
13 15 Saturn in Conjunction with Sun
13 21:20 Moon at Perigee: 365964 km
17 13:58 LAST QUARTER MOON
18 00:03 Mars 4.7°N of Antares
20 20:13 Mars 2.3°S of Moon
22 21:31 Moon at Descending Node
23 03:42 Jupiter 0.4°N of Moon: Occn.
24 22:42 NEW MOON
28 08:29 Venus 4.1°N of Moon
29 22:28 Moon at Apogee: 405390 km
Feb 02 02:42 FIRST QUARTER MOON
04 07:53 Aldebaran 3.1°S of Moon
06 09:59 Moon at Ascending Node
09 08:33 FULL MOON
09 22:15 Regulus 3.8°S of Moon
10 15 Mercury at Greatest Elong: 18.2°E
10 21:31 Moon at Perigee: 360464 km
12 06 Mercury at Perihelion
15 23:17 LAST QUARTER MOON
18 14:18 Mars 0.8°S of Moon: Occn.
19 01:12 Moon at Descending Node
19 20:36 Jupiter 0.9°N of Moon: Occn.
20 14:47 Saturn 1.7°N of Moon
23 16:32 NEW MOON
26 03 Mercury at Inferior Conjunction
26 12:35 Moon at Apogee: 406277 km
Mar 02 16:16 Aldebaran 3.3°S of Moon
02 20:57 FIRST QUARTER MOON
04 15:58 Moon at Ascending Node
08 09:23 Regulus 3.8°S of Moon
08 13 Neptune in Conjunction with Sun
09 18:48 FULL MOON
10 07:33 Moon at Perigee: 357123 km
16 10:34 LAST QUARTER MOON
17 02:00 Moon at Descending Node
18 09:19 Mars 0.7°N of Moon: Occn.
18 11:18 Jupiter 1.5°N of Moon
19 01:04 Saturn 2.1°N of Moon
20 04:50 Vernal Equinox
20 05 Venus at Perihelion
20 11 Mars 0.7°S of Jupiter
21 18:48 Mercury 3.6°N of Moon
24 03 Mercury at Greatest Elong: 27.8°W
24 10:28 NEW MOON
24 16:23 Moon at Apogee: 406690 km
24 23 Venus at Greatest Elong: 46.1°E
27 06 Mercury at Aphelion
29 22:52 Aldebaran 3.6°S of Moon
31 17:51 Moon at Ascending Node
31 21 Mars 0.9°S of Saturn
Apr 01 11:21 FIRST QUARTER MOON
03 15:36 Venus 0.3°S of Pleiades
04 19:45 Regulus 3.9°S of Moon
07 19:08 Moon at Perigee: 356909 km
08 03:35 FULL MOON
13 03:58 Moon at Descending Node
14 23:56 LAST QUARTER MOON
15 00:04 Jupiter 2.0°N of Moon
15 10:26 Saturn 2.5°N of Moon
16 05:33 Mars 2.0°N of Moon
20 20:01 Moon at Apogee: 406463 km
22 07 Lyrid Meteor Shower
23 03:26 NEW MOON
26 04:34 Aldebaran 3.8°S of Moon
26 11 Uranus in Conjunction with Sun
27 18:54 Moon at Ascending Node
29 15:19 Pollux 4.7°N of Moon
30 21:38 FIRST QUARTER MOON
May 02 03:49 Regulus 4.2°S of Moon
04 20 Eta-Aquarid Meteor Shower
04 22 Mercury at Superior Conjunction
06 04:03 Moon at Perigee: 359656 km
07 11:45 FULL MOON
10 05 Mercury at Perihelion
10 10:01 Moon at Descending Node
12 10:40 Jupiter 2.3°N of Moon
12 19:18 Saturn 2.7°N of Moon
14 15:03 LAST QUARTER MOON
15 03:00 Mars 2.8°N of Moon
18 03 Jupiter 4.8°S of Saturn
18 08:45 Moon at Apogee: 405584 km
22 11 Mercury 0.9°S of Venus
22 18:39 NEW MOON
24 03:40 Venus 3.7°N of Moon
24 11:53 Mercury 2.8°N of Moon
24 22:34 Moon at Ascending Node
26 20:43 Pollux 4.6°N of Moon
29 09:44 Regulus 4.3°S of Moon
30 04:30 FIRST QUARTER MOON
Jun 03 04:36 Moon at Perigee: 364366 km
03 19 Venus at Inferior Conjunction
04 14 Mercury at Greatest Elong: 23.6°E
05 20:12 FULL MOON
05 20:25 Pen. Lunar Eclipse; mag=0.568
06 19:10 Moon at Descending Node
08 18:19 Jupiter 2.2°N of Moon
09 03:19 Saturn 2.7°N of Moon
13 00:53 Mars 2.7°N of Moon
13 07:24 LAST QUARTER MOON
15 01:56 Moon at Apogee: 404597 km
19 09:52 Venus 0.7°S of Moon: Occn.
19 17:56 Aldebaran 3.8°S of Moon
20 22:43 Summer Solstice
21 05:24 Moon at Ascending Node
21 07:40 Annular Solar Eclipse; mag=0.994
21 07:41 NEW MOON
23 02:53 Pollux 4.5°N of Moon
25 15:09 Regulus 4.3°S of Moon
28 09:16 FIRST QUARTER MOON
30 03:09 Moon at Perigee: 368958 km
|
Date CET Event
(h:m)
Jul 01 04 Mercury at Inferior Conjunction
04 04:18 Moon at Descending Node
04 14 Earth at Aphelion: 1.01669 AU
05 05:30 Pen. Lunar Eclipse; mag=0.355
05 05:44 FULL MOON
05 22:37 Jupiter 1.9°N of Moon
06 09:45 Saturn 2.5°N of Moon
10 13 Venus at Aphelion
11 13:10 Venus 1.0°N of Aldebaran
11 20:36 Mars 2.0°N of Moon
12 20:27 Moon at Apogee: 404201 km
13 00:29 LAST QUARTER MOON
14 08 Jupiter at Opposition
17 02:21 Aldebaran 3.8°S of Moon
17 08:26 Venus 3.1°S of Moon
18 13:33 Moon at Ascending Node
19 04:54 Mercury 3.9°S of Moon
20 18:33 NEW MOON
20 23 Saturn at Opposition
22 16 Mercury at Greatest Elong: 20.1°W
22 21:50 Regulus 4.3°S of Moon
25 05:54 Moon at Perigee: 368367 km
27 13:32 FIRST QUARTER MOON
27 22 Delta-Aquarid Meteor Shower
31 10:32 Moon at Descending Node
Aug 02 00:30 Jupiter 1.5°N of Moon
02 14:17 Saturn 2.3°N of Moon
03 10 Mars at Perihelion: 1.38138 AU
03 16:59 FULL MOON
06 05 Mercury at Perihelion
09 08:57 Mars 0.8°N of Moon: Occn.
09 14:51 Moon at Apogee: 404658 km
11 17:45 LAST QUARTER MOON
12 14 Perseid Meteor Shower
13 02 Venus at Greatest Elong: 45.8°W
13 11:06 Aldebaran 4.0°S of Moon
14 20:22 Moon at Ascending Node
15 14:01 Venus 4.0°S of Moon
16 20:10 Pollux 4.5°N of Moon
17 16 Mercury at Superior Conjunction
19 03:41 NEW MOON
21 11:59 Moon at Perigee: 363513 km
25 18:58 FIRST QUARTER MOON
27 12:52 Moon at Descending Node
29 02:33 Jupiter 1.4°N of Moon
29 17:40 Saturn 2.2°N of Moon
Sep 02 06:22 FULL MOON
06 05:42 Mars 0.0°S of Moon: Occn.
06 07:31 Moon at Apogee: 405606 km
09 19:12 Aldebaran 4.2°S of Moon
10 10:26 LAST QUARTER MOON
11 00:05 Moon at Ascending Node
11 20 Neptune at Opposition
13 05:50 Pollux 4.3°N of Moon
14 05:43 Venus 4.5°S of Moon
15 16:51 Regulus 4.3°S of Moon
17 12:00 NEW MOON
18 14:44 Moon at Perigee: 359081 km
19 04 Mercury at Aphelion
22 07:06 Mercury 0.3°N of Spica
22 14:31 Autumnal Equinox
23 13:33 Moon at Descending Node
24 02:55 FIRST QUARTER MOON
25 07:46 Jupiter 1.6°N of Moon
25 21:46 Saturn 2.3°N of Moon
Oct 01 17 Mercury at Greatest Elong: 25.8°E
01 22:05 FULL MOON
02 18:09 Venus 0.1°S of Regulus
03 04:21 Mars 0.7°N of Moon: Occn.
03 18:22 Moon at Apogee: 406321 km
07 02:02 Aldebaran 4.5°S of Moon
08 01:29 Moon at Ascending Node
10 01:39 LAST QUARTER MOON
10 14:18 Pollux 4.1°N of Moon
13 02:59 Regulus 4.5°S of Moon
14 00 Mars at Opposition
14 00:57 Venus 4.3°S of Moon
16 20:31 NEW MOON
17 00:46 Moon at Perigee: 356913 km
20 16:53 Moon at Descending Node
21 06 Orionid Meteor Shower
22 18:10 Jupiter 2.0°N of Moon
23 04:49 Saturn 2.6°N of Moon
23 14:23 FIRST QUARTER MOON
25 19 Mercury at Inferior Conjunction
29 17:13 Mars 3.0°N of Moon
30 19:46 Moon at Apogee: 406393 km
30 22 Venus at Perihelion
31 15:49 FULL MOON
31 17 Uranus at Opposition
Nov 02 04 Mercury at Perihelion
04 03:39 Moon at Ascending Node
05 07 S Taurid Meteor Shower
06 20:52 Pollux 3.9°N of Moon
08 14:46 LAST QUARTER MOON
09 11:20 Regulus 4.7°S of Moon
10 18 Mercury at Greatest Elong: 19.1°W
12 06 N Taurid Meteor Shower
12 22:30 Venus 3.1°S of Moon
13 21:45 Mercury 1.7°S of Moon
14 12:48 Moon at Perigee: 357839 km
15 06:07 NEW MOON
16 14:27 Venus 3.6°N of Spica
17 01:07 Moon at Descending Node
17 12 Leonid Meteor Shower
19 09:54 Jupiter 2.5°N of Moon
19 15:57 Saturn 2.9°N of Moon
22 05:45 FIRST QUARTER MOON
27 01:29 Moon at Apogee: 405891 km
30 10:30 FULL MOON
30 10:43 Pen. Lunar Eclipse; mag=0.829
Dec 01 08:46 Moon at Ascending Node
04 02:24 Pollux 3.8°N of Moon
06 17:28 Regulus 4.8°S of Moon
08 01:37 LAST QUARTER MOON
12 21:40 Venus 0.8°S of Moon: Occn.
12 21:42 Moon at Perigee: 361777 km
14 02 Geminid Meteor Shower
14 12:03 Moon at Descending Node
14 17:13 Total Solar Eclipse; mag=1.025
14 17:17 NEW MOON
17 05:28 Jupiter 2.9°N of Moon
17 06:25 Saturn 3.1°N of Moon
20 04 Mercury at Superior Conjunction
21 11:03 Winter Solstice
22 00:41 FIRST QUARTER MOON
22 10 Ursid Meteor Shower
22 10 Jupiter 0.1°S of Saturn
24 17:32 Moon at Apogee: 405010 km
28 16:03 Moon at Ascending Node
30 04:28 FULL MOON
31 08:41 Pollux 3.8°N of 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
2020 Phases of the Moon
Central European Time
The following table gives the date and time of the Moon's phases for the year. The times listed are for Central European Time (Coordinated Universal Time + 1 hour) . This time zone may have different names in different countries. If Daylight Saving Time is in effect, add one hour to the times listed.
| 2020 Phases of the Moon | |||
| Central European Time | |||
| New Moon | First Quarter | Full Moon | Last Quarter |
| - | Jan 03 05:45 | Jan 10 20:21 n | Jan 17 13:58 |
| Jan 24 22:42 | Feb 02 02:42 | Feb 09 08:33 | Feb 15 23:17 |
| Feb 23 16:32 | Mar 02 20:57 | Mar 09 18:48 | Mar 16 10:34 |
| Mar 24 10:28 | Apr 01 11:21 | Apr 08 03:35 | Apr 14 23:56 |
| Apr 23 03:26 | Apr 30 21:38 | May 07 11:45 | May 14 15:03 |
| May 22 18:39 | May 30 04:30 | Jun 05 20:12 n | Jun 13 07:24 |
| Jun 21 07:41 A | Jun 28 09:16 | Jul 05 05:44 n | Jul 13 00:29 |
| Jul 20 18:33 | Jul 27 13:32 | Aug 03 16:59 | Aug 11 17:45 |
| Aug 19 03:41 | Aug 25 18:58 | Sep 02 06:22 | Sep 10 10:26 |
| Sep 17 12:00 | Sep 24 02:55 | Oct 01 22:05 | Oct 10 01:39 |
| Oct 16 20:31 | Oct 23 14:23 | Oct 31 15:49 | Nov 08 14:46 |
| Nov 15 06:07 | Nov 22 05:45 | Nov 30 10:30 n | Dec 08 01:37 |
| Dec 14 17:17 T | Dec 22 00:41 | Dec 30 04:28 | - |
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)