2020 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.
| 2020 Sky Event Almanac | ||||||||
| Greenwich Mean Time | ||||||||
| January - June | July - December | |||||||
Date GMT Event
(h:m)
Jan 02 01:30 Moon at Apogee: 404580 km
03 04:45 FIRST QUARTER MOON
04 09 Quadrantid Meteor Shower
05 08 Earth at Perihelion: 0.98324 AU
07 21:09 Aldebaran 3.0°S of Moon
09 23:29 Moon at Ascending Node
10 15 Mercury at Superior Conjunction
10 19:10 Pen. Lunar Eclipse; mag=0.896
10 19:21 FULL MOON
13 11:37 Regulus 3.8°S of Moon
13 14 Saturn in Conjunction with Sun
13 20:20 Moon at Perigee: 365964 km
17 12:58 LAST QUARTER MOON
17 23:03 Mars 4.7°N of Antares
20 19:13 Mars 2.3°S of Moon
22 20:31 Moon at Descending Node
23 02:42 Jupiter 0.4°N of Moon: Occn.
24 21:42 NEW MOON
28 07:29 Venus 4.1°N of Moon
29 21:28 Moon at Apogee: 405390 km
Feb 02 01:42 FIRST QUARTER MOON
04 06:53 Aldebaran 3.1°S of Moon
06 08:59 Moon at Ascending Node
09 07:33 FULL MOON
09 21:15 Regulus 3.8°S of Moon
10 14 Mercury at Greatest Elong: 18.2°E
10 20:31 Moon at Perigee: 360464 km
12 05 Mercury at Perihelion
15 22:17 LAST QUARTER MOON
18 13:18 Mars 0.8°S of Moon: Occn.
19 00:12 Moon at Descending Node
19 19:36 Jupiter 0.9°N of Moon: Occn.
20 13:47 Saturn 1.7°N of Moon
23 15:32 NEW MOON
26 02 Mercury at Inferior Conjunction
26 11:35 Moon at Apogee: 406277 km
Mar 02 15:16 Aldebaran 3.3°S of Moon
02 19:57 FIRST QUARTER MOON
04 14:58 Moon at Ascending Node
08 08:23 Regulus 3.8°S of Moon
08 12 Neptune in Conjunction with Sun
09 17:48 FULL MOON
10 06:33 Moon at Perigee: 357123 km
16 09:34 LAST QUARTER MOON
17 01:00 Moon at Descending Node
18 08:19 Mars 0.7°N of Moon: Occn.
18 10:18 Jupiter 1.5°N of Moon
19 00:04 Saturn 2.1°N of Moon
20 03:50 Vernal Equinox
20 04 Venus at Perihelion
20 10 Mars 0.7°S of Jupiter
21 17:48 Mercury 3.6°N of Moon
24 02 Mercury at Greatest Elong: 27.8°W
24 09:28 NEW MOON
24 15:23 Moon at Apogee: 406690 km
24 22 Venus at Greatest Elong: 46.1°E
27 05 Mercury at Aphelion
29 21:52 Aldebaran 3.6°S of Moon
31 16:51 Moon at Ascending Node
31 20 Mars 0.9°S of Saturn
Apr 01 10:21 FIRST QUARTER MOON
03 14:36 Venus 0.3°S of Pleiades
04 18:45 Regulus 3.9°S of Moon
07 18:08 Moon at Perigee: 356909 km
08 02:35 FULL MOON
13 02:58 Moon at Descending Node
14 22:56 LAST QUARTER MOON
14 23:04 Jupiter 2.0°N of Moon
15 09:26 Saturn 2.5°N of Moon
16 04:33 Mars 2.0°N of Moon
20 19:01 Moon at Apogee: 406463 km
22 06 Lyrid Meteor Shower
23 02:26 NEW MOON
26 03:34 Aldebaran 3.8°S of Moon
26 10 Uranus in Conjunction with Sun
27 17:54 Moon at Ascending Node
29 14:19 Pollux 4.7°N of Moon
30 20:38 FIRST QUARTER MOON
May 02 02:49 Regulus 4.2°S of Moon
04 19 Eta-Aquarid Meteor Shower
04 21 Mercury at Superior Conjunction
06 03:03 Moon at Perigee: 359656 km
07 10:45 FULL MOON
10 04 Mercury at Perihelion
10 09:01 Moon at Descending Node
12 09:40 Jupiter 2.3°N of Moon
12 18:18 Saturn 2.7°N of Moon
14 14:03 LAST QUARTER MOON
15 02:00 Mars 2.8°N of Moon
18 02 Jupiter 4.8°S of Saturn
18 07:45 Moon at Apogee: 405584 km
22 10 Mercury 0.9°S of Venus
22 17:39 NEW MOON
24 02:40 Venus 3.7°N of Moon
24 10:53 Mercury 2.8°N of Moon
24 21:34 Moon at Ascending Node
26 19:43 Pollux 4.6°N of Moon
29 08:44 Regulus 4.3°S of Moon
30 03:30 FIRST QUARTER MOON
Jun 03 03:36 Moon at Perigee: 364366 km
03 18 Venus at Inferior Conjunction
04 13 Mercury at Greatest Elong: 23.6°E
05 19:12 FULL MOON
05 19:25 Pen. Lunar Eclipse; mag=0.568
06 18:10 Moon at Descending Node
08 17:19 Jupiter 2.2°N of Moon
09 02:19 Saturn 2.7°N of Moon
12 23:53 Mars 2.7°N of Moon
13 06:24 LAST QUARTER MOON
15 00:56 Moon at Apogee: 404597 km
19 08:52 Venus 0.7°S of Moon: Occn.
19 16:56 Aldebaran 3.8°S of Moon
20 21:43 Summer Solstice
21 04:24 Moon at Ascending Node
21 06:40 Annular Solar Eclipse; mag=0.994
21 06:41 NEW MOON
23 01:53 Pollux 4.5°N of Moon
25 14:09 Regulus 4.3°S of Moon
28 08:16 FIRST QUARTER MOON
30 02:09 Moon at Perigee: 368958 km
|
Date GMT Event
(h:m)
Jul 01 03 Mercury at Inferior Conjunction
04 03:18 Moon at Descending Node
04 13 Earth at Aphelion: 1.01669 AU
05 04:30 Pen. Lunar Eclipse; mag=0.355
05 04:44 FULL MOON
05 21:37 Jupiter 1.9°N of Moon
06 08:45 Saturn 2.5°N of Moon
10 12 Venus at Aphelion
11 12:10 Venus 1.0°N of Aldebaran
11 19:36 Mars 2.0°N of Moon
12 19:27 Moon at Apogee: 404201 km
12 23:29 LAST QUARTER MOON
14 07 Jupiter at Opposition
17 01:21 Aldebaran 3.8°S of Moon
17 07:26 Venus 3.1°S of Moon
18 12:33 Moon at Ascending Node
19 03:54 Mercury 3.9°S of Moon
20 17:33 NEW MOON
20 22 Saturn at Opposition
22 15 Mercury at Greatest Elong: 20.1°W
22 20:50 Regulus 4.3°S of Moon
25 04:54 Moon at Perigee: 368367 km
27 12:32 FIRST QUARTER MOON
27 21 Delta-Aquarid Meteor Shower
31 09:32 Moon at Descending Node
Aug 01 23:30 Jupiter 1.5°N of Moon
02 13:17 Saturn 2.3°N of Moon
03 09 Mars at Perihelion: 1.38138 AU
03 15:59 FULL MOON
06 04 Mercury at Perihelion
09 07:57 Mars 0.8°N of Moon: Occn.
09 13:51 Moon at Apogee: 404658 km
11 16:45 LAST QUARTER MOON
12 13 Perseid Meteor Shower
13 01 Venus at Greatest Elong: 45.8°W
13 10:06 Aldebaran 4.0°S of Moon
14 19:22 Moon at Ascending Node
15 13:01 Venus 4.0°S of Moon
16 19:10 Pollux 4.5°N of Moon
17 15 Mercury at Superior Conjunction
19 02:41 NEW MOON
21 10:59 Moon at Perigee: 363513 km
25 17:58 FIRST QUARTER MOON
27 11:52 Moon at Descending Node
29 01:33 Jupiter 1.4°N of Moon
29 16:40 Saturn 2.2°N of Moon
Sep 02 05:22 FULL MOON
06 04:42 Mars 0.0°S of Moon: Occn.
06 06:31 Moon at Apogee: 405606 km
09 18:12 Aldebaran 4.2°S of Moon
10 09:26 LAST QUARTER MOON
10 23:05 Moon at Ascending Node
11 19 Neptune at Opposition
13 04:50 Pollux 4.3°N of Moon
14 04:43 Venus 4.5°S of Moon
15 15:51 Regulus 4.3°S of Moon
17 11:00 NEW MOON
18 13:44 Moon at Perigee: 359081 km
19 03 Mercury at Aphelion
22 06:06 Mercury 0.3°N of Spica
22 13:31 Autumnal Equinox
23 12:33 Moon at Descending Node
24 01:55 FIRST QUARTER MOON
25 06:46 Jupiter 1.6°N of Moon
25 20:46 Saturn 2.3°N of Moon
Oct 01 16 Mercury at Greatest Elong: 25.8°E
01 21:05 FULL MOON
02 17:09 Venus 0.1°S of Regulus
03 03:21 Mars 0.7°N of Moon: Occn.
03 17:22 Moon at Apogee: 406321 km
07 01:02 Aldebaran 4.5°S of Moon
08 00:29 Moon at Ascending Node
10 00:39 LAST QUARTER MOON
10 13:18 Pollux 4.1°N of Moon
13 01:59 Regulus 4.5°S of Moon
13 23 Mars at Opposition
13 23:57 Venus 4.3°S of Moon
16 19:31 NEW MOON
16 23:46 Moon at Perigee: 356913 km
20 15:53 Moon at Descending Node
21 05 Orionid Meteor Shower
22 17:10 Jupiter 2.0°N of Moon
23 03:49 Saturn 2.6°N of Moon
23 13:23 FIRST QUARTER MOON
25 18 Mercury at Inferior Conjunction
29 16:13 Mars 3.0°N of Moon
30 18:46 Moon at Apogee: 406393 km
30 21 Venus at Perihelion
31 14:49 FULL MOON
31 16 Uranus at Opposition
Nov 02 03 Mercury at Perihelion
04 02:39 Moon at Ascending Node
05 06 S Taurid Meteor Shower
06 19:52 Pollux 3.9°N of Moon
08 13:46 LAST QUARTER MOON
09 10:20 Regulus 4.7°S of Moon
10 17 Mercury at Greatest Elong: 19.1°W
12 05 N Taurid Meteor Shower
12 21:30 Venus 3.1°S of Moon
13 20:45 Mercury 1.7°S of Moon
14 11:48 Moon at Perigee: 357839 km
15 05:07 NEW MOON
16 13:27 Venus 3.6°N of Spica
17 00:07 Moon at Descending Node
17 11 Leonid Meteor Shower
19 08:54 Jupiter 2.5°N of Moon
19 14:57 Saturn 2.9°N of Moon
22 04:45 FIRST QUARTER MOON
27 00:29 Moon at Apogee: 405891 km
30 09:30 FULL MOON
30 09:43 Pen. Lunar Eclipse; mag=0.829
Dec 01 07:46 Moon at Ascending Node
04 01:24 Pollux 3.8°N of Moon
06 16:28 Regulus 4.8°S of Moon
08 00:37 LAST QUARTER MOON
12 20:40 Venus 0.8°S of Moon: Occn.
12 20:42 Moon at Perigee: 361777 km
14 01 Geminid Meteor Shower
14 11:03 Moon at Descending Node
14 16:13 Total Solar Eclipse; mag=1.025
14 16:17 NEW MOON
17 04:28 Jupiter 2.9°N of Moon
17 05:25 Saturn 3.1°N of Moon
20 03 Mercury at Superior Conjunction
21 10:03 Winter Solstice
21 23:41 FIRST QUARTER MOON
22 09 Ursid Meteor Shower
22 09 Jupiter 0.1°S of Saturn
24 16:32 Moon at Apogee: 405010 km
28 15:03 Moon at Ascending Node
30 03:28 FULL MOON
31 07:41 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
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.
| 2020 Phases of the Moon | |||
| Greenwich Mean Time | |||
| New Moon | First Quarter | Full Moon | Last Quarter |
| - | Jan 03 04:45 | Jan 10 19:21 n | Jan 17 12:58 |
| Jan 24 21:42 | Feb 02 01:42 | Feb 09 07:33 | Feb 15 22:17 |
| Feb 23 15:32 | Mar 02 19:57 | Mar 09 17:48 | Mar 16 09:34 |
| Mar 24 09:28 | Apr 01 10:21 | Apr 08 02:35 | Apr 14 22:56 |
| Apr 23 02:26 | Apr 30 20:38 | May 07 10:45 | May 14 14:03 |
| May 22 17:39 | May 30 03:30 | Jun 05 19:12 n | Jun 13 06:24 |
| Jun 21 06:41 A | Jun 28 08:16 | Jul 05 04:44 n | Jul 12 23:29 |
| Jul 20 17:33 | Jul 27 12:32 | Aug 03 15:59 | Aug 11 16:45 |
| Aug 19 02:41 | Aug 25 17:58 | Sep 02 05:22 | Sep 10 09:26 |
| Sep 17 11:00 | Sep 24 01:55 | Oct 01 21:05 | Oct 10 00:39 |
| Oct 16 19:31 | Oct 23 13:23 | Oct 31 14:49 | Nov 08 13:46 |
| Nov 15 05:07 | Nov 22 04:45 | Nov 30 09:30 n | Dec 08 00:37 |
| Dec 14 16:17 T | Dec 21 23:41 | Dec 30 03:28 | - |
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)