2017Calendar of Astronomical Events

    
2017Phases of the Moon
Central Standard Time
The following table gives the date and time of the Moon's phases for the year. The times listed are for Central Standard Time(Greenwich Mean Time - 6 hours).If Daylight Saving Time is in effect, add one hour to the times listed. 
   
      2017 Phases of the Moon   
      Central Standard Time
 New Moon  First Quarter  Full Moon  Last Quarter 
- Jan  5  13:47    Jan 12  05:34    Jan 19  16:14   
 Jan 27  18:07    Feb  3  22:19    Feb 10  18:33 n  Feb 18  13:33   
 Feb 26  08:58 A  Mar  5  05:32    Mar 12  08:54    Mar 20  09:58   
 Mar 27  20:57    Apr  3  12:39    Apr 11  00:08    Apr 19  03:57   
 Apr 26  06:16    May  2  20:47    May 10  15:43    May 18  18:33   
 May 25  13:44    Jun  1  06:42    Jun  9  07:10    Jun 17  05:33   
 Jun 23  20:31    Jun 30  18:51    Jul  8  22:07    Jul 16  13:26   
 Jul 23  03:46    Jul 30  09:23    Aug  7  12:11 p  Aug 14  19:15   
 Aug 21  12:30 T  Aug 29  02:13    Sep  6  01:03    Sep 13  00:25   
 Sep 19  23:30    Sep 27  20:54    Oct  5  12:40    Oct 12  06:25   
 Oct 19  13:12    Oct 27  16:22    Nov  3  23:23    Nov 10  14:37   
 Nov 18  05:42    Nov 26  11:03    Dec  3  09:47    Dec 10  01:51   
 Dec 18  00:31    Dec 26  03:20   --
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 table above. 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. 
Phases of the Moon Photo Gallery is an image collection showing the Moon's phases over a complete synodic month.
2017Calendar of Astronomical Events
Central Standard Time
The following table gives the date and time of the important astronomical events for the year. The times listed are for Central Standard Time(Greenwich Mean Time - 6 hours).If Daylight Saving Time is in effect, add one hour to the times listed. A key to astronomical terms appears below the calendar.
   
      2017Calendar of Astronomical Events   
   Central Standard Time  
 January - June   July - December 
Date     CST   Event        (h:m)Jan 02  03:20  Venus 1.9°S of Moon    02  12:14  Moon at Descending Node     03  00:47  Mars 0.2°S of Moon: Occn.    03  08     Quadrantid Meteor Shower    04  09     Earth at Perihelion: 0.98331 AU    05  13:47  FIRST QUARTER MOON     09  03     Mercury 6.7°N of Saturn    09  08:07  Aldebaran 0.4°S of Moon    10  00:07  Moon at Perigee: 363242 km    12  05:34  FULL MOON     12  07     Venus at Greatest Elong: 47.1°E    13  07:59  Beehive 3.9°N of Moon    14  22:07  Regulus 0.9°N of Moon    15  04:44  Moon at Ascending Node     18  23:26  Jupiter 2.7°S of Moon    19  04     Mercury at Greatest Elong: 24.1°W    19  16:14  LAST QUARTER MOON     21  18:14  Moon at Apogee: 404913 km    24  04:37  Saturn 3.6°S of Moon    25  18:46  Mercury 3.7°S of Moon    27  18:07  NEW MOON     29  16:21  Moon at Descending Node     31  07:11  Jupiter 3.5°N of Spica    31  08:34  Venus 4.1°N of Moon    31  19:09  Mars 2.3°N of MoonFeb 02  07     Venus 5.4°N of Mars    03  22:19  FIRST QUARTER MOON     05  15:14  Aldebaran 0.2°S of Moon    06  07:59  Moon at Perigee: 368817 km    07  08     Mercury at Aphelion     09  17:46  Beehive 3.9°N of Moon    10  18:33  FULL MOON     10  18:44  Pen. Lunar Eclipse; mag=0.988    11  08:04  Regulus 0.8°N of Moon    11  13:49  Moon at Ascending Node     15  08:55  Jupiter 2.7°S of Moon    17  01     Jupiter at Aphelion:  5.45652 AU    18  13:33  LAST QUARTER MOON     18  15:14  Moon at Apogee: 404376 km    20  10     Venus at Perihelion     20  17:44  Saturn 3.6°S of Moon    26  00:28  Moon at Descending Node     26  08:53  Annular Solar Eclipse; mag=0.992    26  08:58  NEW MOON Mar 01  12:58  Mars 4.3°N of Moon    01  20     Neptune in Conjunction with Sun     03  01:24  Moon at Perigee: 369065 km    04  20:38  Aldebaran 0.2°S of Moon    05  05:32  FIRST QUARTER MOON     06  18     Mercury at Superior Conjunction     09  01:12  Beehive 3.9°N of Moon    10  16:20  Regulus 0.8°N of Moon    10  22:17  Moon at Ascending Node     12  08:54  FULL MOON     14  14:04  Jupiter 2.5°S of Moon    18  11:25  Moon at Apogee: 404651 km    20  04:29  Vernal Equinox     20  04:49  Saturn 3.4°S of Moon    20  09:58  LAST QUARTER MOON     23  08     Mercury at Perihelion     25  05     Venus at Inferior Conjunction     25  09:41  Moon at Descending Node     27  20:57  NEW MOON     30  06:39  Moon at Perigee: 363855 km    30  07:03  Mars 5.5°N of MoonApr 01  02:50  Aldebaran 0.3°S of Moon    01  04     Mercury at Greatest Elong: 19.0°E    03  12:39  FIRST QUARTER MOON     05  06:45  Beehive 3.8°N of Moon    06  22:30  Regulus 0.7°N of Moon    07  03:14  Moon at Ascending Node     07  15     Jupiter at Opposition     10  15:20  Jupiter 2.2°S of Moon    11  00:08  FULL MOON     14  00     Uranus in Conjunction with Sun     15  04:05  Moon at Apogee: 405478 km    16  12:39  Saturn 3.2°S of Moon    19  03:57  LAST QUARTER MOON     20  00     Mercury at Inferior Conjunction     21  02:16  Mars 3.4°S of Pleiades    21  16:30  Moon at Descending Node     22  06     Lyrid Meteor Shower    23  11:59  Venus 5.2°N of Moon    26  06:16  NEW MOON     27  10:18  Moon at Perigee: 359325 km    28  11:19  Aldebaran 0.5°S of MoonMay 02  12:23  Beehive 3.6°N of Moon    02  20:47  FIRST QUARTER MOON     04  03:49  Regulus 0.5°N of Moon    04  04:42  Moon at Ascending Node     04  19     Eta-Aquarid Meteor Shower    05  07:51  Mars 6.1°N of Aldebaran    07  15:24  Jupiter 2.1°S of Moon    10  15:43  FULL MOON     12  13:51  Moon at Apogee: 406212 km    13  17:07  Saturn 3.1°S of Moon    17  17     Mercury at Greatest Elong: 25.8°W    18  18:33  LAST QUARTER MOON     18  19:30  Moon at Descending Node     22  06:32  Venus 2.4°N of Moon    23  19:20  Mercury 1.6°N of Moon    25  13:44  NEW MOON     25  19:23  Moon at Perigee: 357210 km    29  19:50  Beehive 3.4°N of Moon    31  05:56  Moon at Ascending Node     31  10:08  Regulus 0.3°N of MoonJun 01  06:42  FIRST QUARTER MOON     03  05     Venus at Greatest Elong: 45.9°W    03  17:57  Jupiter 2.3°S of Moon    06  21:19  Mercury 5.3°S of Pleiades    08  16:21  Moon at Apogee: 406402 km    09  07:10  FULL MOON     09  19:25  Saturn 3.1°S of Moon    12  18     Venus at Aphelion     14  20:40  Moon at Descending Node     15  03     Saturn at Opposition     17  05:33  LAST QUARTER MOON     19  07     Mercury at Perihelion     20  15:13  Venus 2.4°N of Moon    20  22:25  Summer Solstice     21  08     Mercury at Superior Conjunction     22  08:23  Aldebaran 0.5°S of Moon    23  04:49  Moon at Perigee: 357938 km    23  20:31  NEW MOON     26  05:18  Beehive 3.2°N of Moon    27  10:26  Moon at Ascending Node     27  18:26  Regulus 0.1°N of Moon    30  18:51  FIRST QUARTER MOON 
Date     CST   Event        (h:m)Jul 01  01:28  Jupiter 2.7°S of Moon    03  14     Earth at Aphelion: 1.01668 AU    04  18:21  Venus 6.5°S of Pleiades    05  22:27  Moon at Apogee: 405934 km    06  21:34  Saturn 3.2°S of Moon    08  22:07  FULL MOON     09  19:33  Mercury 0.1°N of Beehive    11  23:17  Moon at Descending Node     13  12:03  Venus 3.1°N of Aldebaran    16  13:26  LAST QUARTER MOON     19  17:37  Aldebaran 0.4°S of Moon    20  05:13  Venus 2.7°N of Moon    21  11:09  Moon at Perigee: 361238 km    23  03:46  NEW MOON     24  18:46  Moon at Ascending Node     25  02:49  Mercury 0.9°S of Moon: Occn.    25  04:14  Regulus 0.0°S of Moon    25  11:03  Mercury 0.8°S of Regulus    26  18     Mars in Conjunction with Sun     27  21     Delta-Aquarid Meteor Shower    28  14:15  Jupiter 3.1°S of Moon    29  22     Mercury at Greatest Elong: 27.2°E    30  09:23  FIRST QUARTER MOON Aug 02  07     Mercury at Aphelion     02  11:55  Moon at Apogee: 405026 km    03  01:31  Saturn 3.5°S of Moon    07  12:11  FULL MOON     07  12:20  Partial Lunar Eclipse; mag=0.246    08  04:56  Moon at Descending Node     12  13     Perseid Meteor Shower    14  19:15  LAST QUARTER MOON     16  00:39  Aldebaran 0.4°S of Moon    18  07:14  Moon at Perigee: 366129 km    18  22:45  Venus 2.2°N of Moon    20  01:15  Beehive 3.2°N of Moon    20  12:08  Venus 7.2°S of Pollux    21  04:34  Moon at Ascending Node     21  12:26  Total Solar Eclipse; mag=1.031    21  12:30  NEW MOON     25  07:00  Jupiter 3.5°S of Moon    26  15     Mercury at Inferior Conjunction     29  02:13  FIRST QUARTER MOON     30  05:25  Moon at Apogee: 404307 km    30  08:23  Saturn 3.6°S of MoonSep 01  00:08  Venus 1.4°S of Beehive    04  12:41  Moon at Descending Node     04  18     Mercury 3.2°S of Mars    04  22     Neptune at Opposition     06  01:03  FULL MOON     09  23:30  Mercury 0.7°S of Regulus    10  15:44  Jupiter 2.9°N of Spica    12  04     Mercury at Greatest Elong: 17.9°W    12  06:09  Aldebaran 0.4°S of Moon    13  00:25  LAST QUARTER MOON     13  10:04  Moon at Perigee: 369856 km    15  06     Mercury at Perihelion     16  08:50  Beehive 3.1°N of Moon    16  12     Mercury 0.1°N of Mars    17  12:28  Moon at Ascending Node     17  18:56  Venus 0.5°N of Moon: Occn.    17  22:32  Regulus 0.1°S of Moon    18  17:22  Mercury 0.0°N of Moon: Occn.    19  15:30  Venus 0.4°N of Regulus    19  23:30  NEW MOON     22  01:51  Jupiter 3.7°S of Moon    22  14:02  Autumnal Equinox     26  18:09  Saturn 3.5°S of Moon    27  00:49  Moon at Apogee: 404342 km    27  20:54  FIRST QUARTER MOON Oct 01  20:05  Moon at Descending Node     03  03     Venus at Perihelion     05  10     Venus 0.2°N of Mars    05  12:40  FULL MOON     07  16     Mars at Aphelion:  1.66609 AU    08  15     Mercury at Superior Conjunction     08  23:51  Moon at Perigee: 366858 km    09  12:05  Aldebaran 0.6°S of Moon    12  06:25  LAST QUARTER MOON     13  14:29  Beehive 3.0°N of Moon    14  16:10  Moon at Ascending Node     15  04:54  Regulus 0.2°S of Moon    17  04:04  Mars 1.8°S of Moon    17  18:21  Venus 2.0°S of Moon    19  11     Uranus at Opposition     19  13:12  NEW MOON     21  05     Orionid Meteor Shower    24  05:54  Saturn 3.3°S of Moon    24  20:25  Moon at Apogee: 405151 km    26  12     Jupiter in Conjunction with Sun     27  16:22  FIRST QUARTER MOON     29  00:41  Moon at Descending Node Nov 02  07:58  Venus 3.3°N of Spica    03  23:23  FULL MOON     05  05     S Taurid Meteor Shower    05  18:09  Moon at Perigee: 361438 km    05  20:19  Aldebaran 0.8°S of Moon    09  19:58  Beehive 2.7°N of Moon    10  14:37  LAST QUARTER MOON     10  16:40  Moon at Ascending Node     11  10:07  Regulus 0.4°S of Moon    12  05     N Taurid Meteor Shower    12  11:50  Mercury 2.2°N of Antares    13  02     Venus 0.3°N of Jupiter    14  18:40  Mars 3.2°S of Moon    17  11     Leonid Meteor Shower    18  05:42  NEW MOON     20  18:34  Saturn 3.0°S of Moon    21  12:52  Moon at Apogee: 406132 km    23  18     Mercury at Greatest Elong: 22.0°E    25  02:22  Moon at Descending Node     26  11:03  FIRST QUARTER MOON     29  08:30  Mars 2.9°N of SpicaDec 03  07:00  Aldebaran 0.8°S of Moon    03  09:47  FULL MOON     04  02:42  Moon at Perigee: 357496 km    06  18     Mercury 1.3°S of Saturn    07  03:30  Beehive 2.5°N of Moon    07  18:39  Moon at Ascending Node     08  16:25  Regulus 0.7°S of Moon    10  01:51  LAST QUARTER MOON     12  06     Mercury at Perihelion     12  20     Mercury at Inferior Conjunction     13  10:27  Mars 4.2°S of Moon    14  00     Geminid Meteor Shower    14  08:26  Jupiter 4.2°S of Moon    18  00:31  NEW MOON     18  19:27  Moon at Apogee: 406605 km    21  10:29  Winter Solstice     21  14     Saturn in Conjunction with Sun     22  04:04  Moon at Descending Node     22  09     Ursid Meteor Shower    26  03:20  FIRST QUARTER MOON     30  18:25  Aldebaran 0.7°S of Moon    

 Terms Used in Astronomical Events Calendar 
  • 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
  • Beehive - bright star cluster in the constellation Cancer
Calendars of Astronomical Events: 2011 to 2020
The Americas
Below are links to calendars of astronomical events from 2011 to 2020 for seven time zones in the Americas. 
Choose a time zone and click on a year to get a calendar of astronomical events for that year.
   Calendars of Astronomical Events - The Americas
   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 
        Time Zones Abbreviations
        • AST = Atlantic Standard Time (= GMT - 4 hours)
        • EST = Eastern Standard Time (= GMT - 5 hours)
        • CST = Central Standard Time (= GMT - 6 hours)
        • MST = Mountain Standard Time (= GMT - 7 hours)
        • PST = Pacific Standard Time (= GMT - 8 hours)
        • AKST = Alaskan Standard Time (= GMT - 9 hours)
        • HST = Hawaiian Standard Time (= GMT - 10 hours)
           (where GMT = Greenwich Mean Time)
A time zone may have a different name in different countries. Note the difference in hours between a given time zone and Greenwich Mean Time to help in identification.
For other years and other time zones, visit: Calendars of Astronomical Events.
 
Accuracy of the Astronomical Events Calendars
The goal of the Astronomical Events Calendars 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 Astronomical Events Calendars
 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: 

Return to: Calendars of Astronomical Events
Return to: Planetary Ephemeris Data