Mount Sidley, Antarctica. Image Credit: Jesse Allen, NASA Earth Observatory.
Antarctica has a diverse geological landscape that includes volcanos, rifts, and basins, but much of it remains hidden beneath the ice sheet. With new technology built to withstand the harsh winters, scientists have managed to map the underground geological structures of West Antarctica by measuring the speed of seismic waves passing through the Earth. Their new research was published in the Journal of Geophysical Research on December 15, 2015.
West Antarctica is the site of several interesting geological structures including Mount Sidley—the tallest dormant volcano in Antarctica—and the Bentley Subglacial Trench—a narrow, deep feature located within the West Antarctic Rift System. To study the geology of West Antarctica, much of which lies beneath the ice sheet, scientists installed a network of 13 seismic stations and collected data on seismic waves traveling through the Earth for two years spanning from January 2010 to January 2012.
Topography of West Antarctica beneath the ice sheet. Image via Washington University.
The seismic waves, which were produced by distant earthquakes along the Ring of Fire, provided the scientists with information about the internal structure of West Antarctica. Seismic waves are affected by several factors as they travel underground including the geological composition of bedrock and the temperature and pressure of the crust and mantle. For example, warmer temperatures tend to slow the speed of seismic waves. Thus, with knowledge of an earthquake’s source and data on the corresponding travel times of seismic waves passing through a particular region, scientists can piece together a picture of the underlying geology.
In West Antarctica, hot anomalies were detected beneath Mount Sidley and the Bentley Subglacial Trench. Mount Sidley is part of volcanic mountain range in Marie Byrd Land, and these volcanoes sit above a hot region in the mantle, the scientists say. The findings for the trench were more surprising to them and may suggest that this area was geologically active rather recently.
Andrew Llloyd, lead author of the paper and graduate student in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences program at Washington University in St. Louis, commented on the study in a press release. He said:
Our understanding of what’s going on is really hampered because we can’t see the geology. We have to turn to geophysical methods, such as seismology, to learn more.
To install and collect data from the seismic stations, Lloyd traveled over 1,000 miles across Antarctica on a snowmobile.
New seismic station at Thwaites Glacier. Image Credit: Mike Roberts.
Douglas Wiens, co-author of the study and professor at Washington University, added that:
Seismic surveys like this one will help inform models of the ice sheet. Modelers need an estimate of the heat flow, and they need to know something about the geological conditions at the bottom of the ice sheet in order to estimate drag. Right now, both of these factors are very poorly constrained.
In future work, the scientists plan on using the same technology to study the geological structures underneath the Thwaites and Pine Island glaciers. These glaciers are located closer to the coast than the area that was mapped in the current research, and they are critical to understanding how surges in Antarctic ice flows could impact sea level rise across the globe. Previous research has documented rapid ice retreat in multiple glaciers from this region of Antarctica, including the Thwaites and Pine Island glaciers. The ice retreat, which was measured over 1992–2011, is thought to be a direct result of warming ocean waters. The ice in these glaciers, if discharged to the sea, could raise sea levels by 1.2 meters (4 feet), scientists say.
So far, Lloyd has managed to install 10 new seismic stations in this area of Antarctica, and his team is currently collaborating with British scientists to collect data from even more stations.
Other co-authors of the current paper included Andrew Nyblade, Sridhar Anandakrishnan, Richard Aster, Audrey Huerta, Terry Wilson, Ian Dalziel, Patrick Shore, Dapeng Zhao. Funding for this research was provided in part by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
Bottom line: The underground geology of West Antarctica was mapped with data from 13 newly installed seismic stations. The resulting maps were published in the Journal of Geophysical Research on December 15, 2015.
Mount Sidley, Antarctica. Image Credit: Jesse Allen, NASA Earth Observatory.
Antarctica has a diverse geological landscape that includes volcanos, rifts, and basins, but much of it remains hidden beneath the ice sheet. With new technology built to withstand the harsh winters, scientists have managed to map the underground geological structures of West Antarctica by measuring the speed of seismic waves passing through the Earth. Their new research was published in the Journal of Geophysical Research on December 15, 2015.
West Antarctica is the site of several interesting geological structures including Mount Sidley—the tallest dormant volcano in Antarctica—and the Bentley Subglacial Trench—a narrow, deep feature located within the West Antarctic Rift System. To study the geology of West Antarctica, much of which lies beneath the ice sheet, scientists installed a network of 13 seismic stations and collected data on seismic waves traveling through the Earth for two years spanning from January 2010 to January 2012.
Topography of West Antarctica beneath the ice sheet. Image via Washington University.
The seismic waves, which were produced by distant earthquakes along the Ring of Fire, provided the scientists with information about the internal structure of West Antarctica. Seismic waves are affected by several factors as they travel underground including the geological composition of bedrock and the temperature and pressure of the crust and mantle. For example, warmer temperatures tend to slow the speed of seismic waves. Thus, with knowledge of an earthquake’s source and data on the corresponding travel times of seismic waves passing through a particular region, scientists can piece together a picture of the underlying geology.
In West Antarctica, hot anomalies were detected beneath Mount Sidley and the Bentley Subglacial Trench. Mount Sidley is part of volcanic mountain range in Marie Byrd Land, and these volcanoes sit above a hot region in the mantle, the scientists say. The findings for the trench were more surprising to them and may suggest that this area was geologically active rather recently.
Andrew Llloyd, lead author of the paper and graduate student in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences program at Washington University in St. Louis, commented on the study in a press release. He said:
Our understanding of what’s going on is really hampered because we can’t see the geology. We have to turn to geophysical methods, such as seismology, to learn more.
To install and collect data from the seismic stations, Lloyd traveled over 1,000 miles across Antarctica on a snowmobile.
New seismic station at Thwaites Glacier. Image Credit: Mike Roberts.
Douglas Wiens, co-author of the study and professor at Washington University, added that:
Seismic surveys like this one will help inform models of the ice sheet. Modelers need an estimate of the heat flow, and they need to know something about the geological conditions at the bottom of the ice sheet in order to estimate drag. Right now, both of these factors are very poorly constrained.
In future work, the scientists plan on using the same technology to study the geological structures underneath the Thwaites and Pine Island glaciers. These glaciers are located closer to the coast than the area that was mapped in the current research, and they are critical to understanding how surges in Antarctic ice flows could impact sea level rise across the globe. Previous research has documented rapid ice retreat in multiple glaciers from this region of Antarctica, including the Thwaites and Pine Island glaciers. The ice retreat, which was measured over 1992–2011, is thought to be a direct result of warming ocean waters. The ice in these glaciers, if discharged to the sea, could raise sea levels by 1.2 meters (4 feet), scientists say.
So far, Lloyd has managed to install 10 new seismic stations in this area of Antarctica, and his team is currently collaborating with British scientists to collect data from even more stations.
Other co-authors of the current paper included Andrew Nyblade, Sridhar Anandakrishnan, Richard Aster, Audrey Huerta, Terry Wilson, Ian Dalziel, Patrick Shore, Dapeng Zhao. Funding for this research was provided in part by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
Bottom line: The underground geology of West Antarctica was mapped with data from 13 newly installed seismic stations. The resulting maps were published in the Journal of Geophysical Research on December 15, 2015.
What’s a supermoon? It’s a new or full moon closely coinciding with perigee – the moon’s closest point to Earth in its monthly orbit. An astrologer, Richard Nolle, coined the term supermoon over 30 years ago, but now many in astronomy use it as well. Are supermoons hype? In our opinion … gosh, no, just modern folklore. They’ve entered the popular culture (check out Sophie Hunger’s music video in this post, for example). And they can cause real physical effects, such as larger-than-usual tides. According to the definition of supermoon coined by Nolle, the year 2016 has a total of six supermoons. The new moons of March, April and May and the full moons of October, November and December all qualify as supermoons. Follow the links below to learn about the supermoons of 2016.
Photographs or other instruments can tell the difference between a supermoon and ordinary full moon. The supermoon of March 19, 2011 (right), compared to an average moon of December 20, 2010 (left). Image by Marco Langbroek of the Netherlands via Wikimedia Commons.
What is a supermoon? We confess: before a few years ago, we in astronomy had never heard that term. To the best of our knowledge, astrologer Richard Nolle coined the term supermoon over 30 years ago. The term has only recently come into popular usage. Nolle has defined a supermoon as:
… a new or full moon which occurs with the moon at or near (within 90% of) its closest approach to Earth in a given orbit.
That’s a pretty generous definition, which is why there are so many supermoons. By this definition, according to Nolle:
There are 4-6 supermoons a year on average.
Some astronomers have complained about the name … but we like it! And it’s entered the popular culture. for example, Supermoon is the title track of Sophie Hunger’s new album, released in May, 2015. It’s a nice song! Check it out in the video below.
What did astronomers call these moons before we called them supermoons? We called them a perigee full moon, or a perigee new moon. Perigee just means “near Earth.”
The moon is full, or opposite Earth from the sun, once each month. It’s new, or more or less between the Earth and sun, once each month. And, every month, as the moon orbits Earth, it comes closest to Earth. That point is called perigee. The moon always swings farthest away once each month; that point is called apogee.
No doubt about it. Supermoon is a catchier term than perigee new moon or perigee full moon.
We first became familiar with the supermoon label in the year 2011 when the media used it to describe the full moon of March 19, 2011. On that date, the full moon aligned with proxigee – the closest perigee of the year – to stage the closest, largest full moon of 2011.
About three or four times a year, the new or full moon coincides closely in time with the perigee of the moon—the point when the moon is closest to the Earth. These occurrences are often called ‘perigean spring tides.’ The difference between ‘perigean spring tide’ and normal tidal ranges for all areas of the coast is small. In most cases, the difference is only a couple of inches above normal spring tides. Image and caption via NOAA.
When are the supermoons of 2016? By Nolle’s definition, the new moon or full moon has to come within 361,524 kilometers (224,641 miles) of our planet, as measured from the centers of the moon and Earth, in order to be considered a supermoon.
By that definition, the year 2016 has a total of six supermoons. The first supermoon, for 2016, comes with the March 9 new moon. The new moons on April 7 and May 6 are also considered supermoons, according to Nolle’s definition, and that same definition dictates that the full moons of October, November and December will be supermoons, too. Thus, the full moon supermoons – aka near-perigee full moons – in 2016:
Full moon of October 16 at 4:23 UTC
Full moon of November 14 at 13:52 UTC
Full moon of December 14 at 00:05 UTC
The full moon on November 14, 2016, will present the closest supermoon of the year (356,509 kilometers or 221,524 miles). What’s more, this November 14, 2016 full moon will present the moon at its closest point to Earth thus far in the 21st century (2001 to 2100).
Want more detail? Okay. In 2016, the moon comes closest to Earth on November 14 (356,509 kilometers), and swings farthest away some two weeks before, on October 31 (406,662 kilometers). That’s a difference of 50,153 kilometers (406,662 – 356,509 = 50,153). Ninety percent of this 50,153-figure equals 45,137.7 kilometers (0.9 x 50,153 = 45,137.7). Presumably, any new or full moon coming closer than 361,863.1 kilometers (406,662 – 45,137.7 = 361,524.3) would be “at or near (within 90% of) its closest approach to Earth.”
Around each new moon (left) and full moon (right) – when the sun, Earth, and moon are located more or less on a line in space – the range between high and low tides is greatest. These are called spring tides. A supermoon – new or full moon at its closest to Earth – accentuates these tides. Image via physicalgeography.net
Spring tides will accompany the supermoons. Will the tides be larger than usual at the March, April and May 2016 new moons and the October, November and December 2016 full moons? Yes, all full moons (and new moons) combine with the sun to create larger-than-usual tides, but closer-than-average full moons (or closer-than-average new moons) elevate the tides even more.
Each month, on the day of the new moon, the Earth, moon and sun are aligned, with the moon in between. This line-up creates wide-ranging tides, known as spring tides. High spring tides climb up especially high, and on the same day low tides plunge especially low.
The closest new moon of the year on April 7 and the year’s closest full moon on November 14 are bound to accentuate the spring tide all the more, giving rise to what’s called a perigean spring tide. If you live along an ocean coastline, watch for high tides caused by the November 14 perigean full moon.
Will these high tides cause flooding? Probably not, unless a strong weather system accompanies the perigean spring tide. Still, keep an eye on the weather, because storms do have a large potential to accentuate perigean spring tides.
Dates of closest full supermoons in past and future years. More often than not, the one day of the year that the full moon and perigee align also brings about the year’s closest perigee (also called proxigee). Because the moon has recurring cycles, we can count on the full moon and perigee to come in concert in periods of about one year, one month and 18 days.
Therefore, the full moon and perigee realign in periods of about one year and 48 days. So we can figure the dates of the closest full moons in recent and future years as:
March 19, 2011
May 6, 2012
June 23, 2013
August 10, 2014
September 28, 2015
November 14, 2016
January 2, 2018.
There won’t be a perigee full moon in 2017 because the full moon and perigee won’t realign again (after November 14, 2016) until January 2, 2018.
Looking further into the future, the perigee full moon will come closer than 356,500 kilometers for the first time in the 21st century (2001-2100) on November 25, 2034 (356,446 km). The closest full moon of the 21st century will fall on December 6, 2052 (356,425 km).
By the way, some astronomers will call all the full moons listed above proxigee full moons.
But, like many of you, we’ll have fun just calling ’em supermoons.
What does a full supermoon look like? Most astronomers say you can’t really detect any difference with your eye between a supermoon and any ordinary full moon, although some careful observers say you can. This great moon photo is from EarthSky Facebook friend Rebecca Lacey in Cambridge, Idaho.
What is a Black Moon? We had never heard the term Black Moon until early 2014. It doesn’t come from astronomy, or skylore, either. Instead, according to David Harper, the term comes from Wiccan culture. It’s the name for the second of two new moons in one calendar month. January 2014, for example, had two new moon supermoons, the second of which was not only a supermoon, but a Black Moon. Does a Black Moon have to be a supermoon in order to be called Black? No. You can read more about Black Moons here.
The next Black moon by the above definition will occur on October 30, 2016. Sten Odenwald at astronomycafe.net lists some other names for the second new moon in a month: Spinner Moon, Finder’s Moon, Secret Moon.
However, we’ve also come across another definition for Black Moon: the third of four new moons in one season. This last happened with the new moon supermoon of February 18, 2015, because this particular new moon was the third of four new moons to take place between the December 2014 solstice and the March 2015 equinox. The next Black Moon by this definition will occur on August 21, 2017, to feature a Black Moon total solar eclipse in the United States.
Bottom line: The term supermoon doesn’t come from astronomy. It comes from astrology, and the definition is pretty generous so that there are about 6 supermoons each year. This post explains what a supermoon is, how many will occur in 2016, which moon is the most “super” of all the 2016 supermoons, and gives a list of upcoming full supermoons for the years ahead.
What’s a supermoon? It’s a new or full moon closely coinciding with perigee – the moon’s closest point to Earth in its monthly orbit. An astrologer, Richard Nolle, coined the term supermoon over 30 years ago, but now many in astronomy use it as well. Are supermoons hype? In our opinion … gosh, no, just modern folklore. They’ve entered the popular culture (check out Sophie Hunger’s music video in this post, for example). And they can cause real physical effects, such as larger-than-usual tides. According to the definition of supermoon coined by Nolle, the year 2016 has a total of six supermoons. The new moons of March, April and May and the full moons of October, November and December all qualify as supermoons. Follow the links below to learn about the supermoons of 2016.
Photographs or other instruments can tell the difference between a supermoon and ordinary full moon. The supermoon of March 19, 2011 (right), compared to an average moon of December 20, 2010 (left). Image by Marco Langbroek of the Netherlands via Wikimedia Commons.
What is a supermoon? We confess: before a few years ago, we in astronomy had never heard that term. To the best of our knowledge, astrologer Richard Nolle coined the term supermoon over 30 years ago. The term has only recently come into popular usage. Nolle has defined a supermoon as:
… a new or full moon which occurs with the moon at or near (within 90% of) its closest approach to Earth in a given orbit.
That’s a pretty generous definition, which is why there are so many supermoons. By this definition, according to Nolle:
There are 4-6 supermoons a year on average.
Some astronomers have complained about the name … but we like it! And it’s entered the popular culture. for example, Supermoon is the title track of Sophie Hunger’s new album, released in May, 2015. It’s a nice song! Check it out in the video below.
What did astronomers call these moons before we called them supermoons? We called them a perigee full moon, or a perigee new moon. Perigee just means “near Earth.”
The moon is full, or opposite Earth from the sun, once each month. It’s new, or more or less between the Earth and sun, once each month. And, every month, as the moon orbits Earth, it comes closest to Earth. That point is called perigee. The moon always swings farthest away once each month; that point is called apogee.
No doubt about it. Supermoon is a catchier term than perigee new moon or perigee full moon.
We first became familiar with the supermoon label in the year 2011 when the media used it to describe the full moon of March 19, 2011. On that date, the full moon aligned with proxigee – the closest perigee of the year – to stage the closest, largest full moon of 2011.
About three or four times a year, the new or full moon coincides closely in time with the perigee of the moon—the point when the moon is closest to the Earth. These occurrences are often called ‘perigean spring tides.’ The difference between ‘perigean spring tide’ and normal tidal ranges for all areas of the coast is small. In most cases, the difference is only a couple of inches above normal spring tides. Image and caption via NOAA.
When are the supermoons of 2016? By Nolle’s definition, the new moon or full moon has to come within 361,524 kilometers (224,641 miles) of our planet, as measured from the centers of the moon and Earth, in order to be considered a supermoon.
By that definition, the year 2016 has a total of six supermoons. The first supermoon, for 2016, comes with the March 9 new moon. The new moons on April 7 and May 6 are also considered supermoons, according to Nolle’s definition, and that same definition dictates that the full moons of October, November and December will be supermoons, too. Thus, the full moon supermoons – aka near-perigee full moons – in 2016:
Full moon of October 16 at 4:23 UTC
Full moon of November 14 at 13:52 UTC
Full moon of December 14 at 00:05 UTC
The full moon on November 14, 2016, will present the closest supermoon of the year (356,509 kilometers or 221,524 miles). What’s more, this November 14, 2016 full moon will present the moon at its closest point to Earth thus far in the 21st century (2001 to 2100).
Want more detail? Okay. In 2016, the moon comes closest to Earth on November 14 (356,509 kilometers), and swings farthest away some two weeks before, on October 31 (406,662 kilometers). That’s a difference of 50,153 kilometers (406,662 – 356,509 = 50,153). Ninety percent of this 50,153-figure equals 45,137.7 kilometers (0.9 x 50,153 = 45,137.7). Presumably, any new or full moon coming closer than 361,863.1 kilometers (406,662 – 45,137.7 = 361,524.3) would be “at or near (within 90% of) its closest approach to Earth.”
Around each new moon (left) and full moon (right) – when the sun, Earth, and moon are located more or less on a line in space – the range between high and low tides is greatest. These are called spring tides. A supermoon – new or full moon at its closest to Earth – accentuates these tides. Image via physicalgeography.net
Spring tides will accompany the supermoons. Will the tides be larger than usual at the March, April and May 2016 new moons and the October, November and December 2016 full moons? Yes, all full moons (and new moons) combine with the sun to create larger-than-usual tides, but closer-than-average full moons (or closer-than-average new moons) elevate the tides even more.
Each month, on the day of the new moon, the Earth, moon and sun are aligned, with the moon in between. This line-up creates wide-ranging tides, known as spring tides. High spring tides climb up especially high, and on the same day low tides plunge especially low.
The closest new moon of the year on April 7 and the year’s closest full moon on November 14 are bound to accentuate the spring tide all the more, giving rise to what’s called a perigean spring tide. If you live along an ocean coastline, watch for high tides caused by the November 14 perigean full moon.
Will these high tides cause flooding? Probably not, unless a strong weather system accompanies the perigean spring tide. Still, keep an eye on the weather, because storms do have a large potential to accentuate perigean spring tides.
Dates of closest full supermoons in past and future years. More often than not, the one day of the year that the full moon and perigee align also brings about the year’s closest perigee (also called proxigee). Because the moon has recurring cycles, we can count on the full moon and perigee to come in concert in periods of about one year, one month and 18 days.
Therefore, the full moon and perigee realign in periods of about one year and 48 days. So we can figure the dates of the closest full moons in recent and future years as:
March 19, 2011
May 6, 2012
June 23, 2013
August 10, 2014
September 28, 2015
November 14, 2016
January 2, 2018.
There won’t be a perigee full moon in 2017 because the full moon and perigee won’t realign again (after November 14, 2016) until January 2, 2018.
Looking further into the future, the perigee full moon will come closer than 356,500 kilometers for the first time in the 21st century (2001-2100) on November 25, 2034 (356,446 km). The closest full moon of the 21st century will fall on December 6, 2052 (356,425 km).
By the way, some astronomers will call all the full moons listed above proxigee full moons.
But, like many of you, we’ll have fun just calling ’em supermoons.
What does a full supermoon look like? Most astronomers say you can’t really detect any difference with your eye between a supermoon and any ordinary full moon, although some careful observers say you can. This great moon photo is from EarthSky Facebook friend Rebecca Lacey in Cambridge, Idaho.
What is a Black Moon? We had never heard the term Black Moon until early 2014. It doesn’t come from astronomy, or skylore, either. Instead, according to David Harper, the term comes from Wiccan culture. It’s the name for the second of two new moons in one calendar month. January 2014, for example, had two new moon supermoons, the second of which was not only a supermoon, but a Black Moon. Does a Black Moon have to be a supermoon in order to be called Black? No. You can read more about Black Moons here.
The next Black moon by the above definition will occur on October 30, 2016. Sten Odenwald at astronomycafe.net lists some other names for the second new moon in a month: Spinner Moon, Finder’s Moon, Secret Moon.
However, we’ve also come across another definition for Black Moon: the third of four new moons in one season. This last happened with the new moon supermoon of February 18, 2015, because this particular new moon was the third of four new moons to take place between the December 2014 solstice and the March 2015 equinox. The next Black Moon by this definition will occur on August 21, 2017, to feature a Black Moon total solar eclipse in the United States.
Bottom line: The term supermoon doesn’t come from astronomy. It comes from astrology, and the definition is pretty generous so that there are about 6 supermoons each year. This post explains what a supermoon is, how many will occur in 2016, which moon is the most “super” of all the 2016 supermoons, and gives a list of upcoming full supermoons for the years ahead.
“You’re on Earth. There’s no cure for that.” -Samuel Beckett
In 2012, astronomers announced that the nearest star system to us, the Alpha Centauri system, possessed at least one exoplanet around it. A periodic signal that recurred just every 3.24 days was consistent with an Earth-sized exoplanet orbiting and gravitationally tugging on the second largest member of the star system: Alpha Centauri B.
Image credit: PHL @ UPR Arecibo, via http://ift.tt/1OJOhLY.
That planet, named Alpha Centauri Bb, turns out not to actually be there. A reanalysis of the data shows that a combination of stellar properties and the times at which the observations were made conspired to produce this spurious signal: a signal that goes away if the data is handled correctly. Accounting for everything correctly reveals something else of interest, a periodic 20-day signal, which may turn out — with better observations — to be Alpha Centauri’s first exoplanet after all.
Image credit: Rajpaul, Aigrain and Roberts, 2015. Via http://ift.tt/1OJOj6x.
“You’re on Earth. There’s no cure for that.” -Samuel Beckett
In 2012, astronomers announced that the nearest star system to us, the Alpha Centauri system, possessed at least one exoplanet around it. A periodic signal that recurred just every 3.24 days was consistent with an Earth-sized exoplanet orbiting and gravitationally tugging on the second largest member of the star system: Alpha Centauri B.
Image credit: PHL @ UPR Arecibo, via http://ift.tt/1OJOhLY.
That planet, named Alpha Centauri Bb, turns out not to actually be there. A reanalysis of the data shows that a combination of stellar properties and the times at which the observations were made conspired to produce this spurious signal: a signal that goes away if the data is handled correctly. Accounting for everything correctly reveals something else of interest, a periodic 20-day signal, which may turn out — with better observations — to be Alpha Centauri’s first exoplanet after all.
Image credit: Rajpaul, Aigrain and Roberts, 2015. Via http://ift.tt/1OJOj6x.
JANUARY, 2016
DATE….TIME…EVENT
Jan 02 05:30 LAST QUARTER MOON (pronounced neap tides)
Jan 02 11:53 Moon farthest from Earth (apogee): 251,207 miles (404,279 km)
Jan 02 23 Earth closest to sun (perihelion): 91,403,445 miles (147,099,586 km, 0.98330 AU)
Jan 03 03:35 Spica 4.7°S of moon
Jan 03 18:45 Mars 1.5°S of moon
Jan 04 08 Quadrantid meteor shower
Jan 06 23:57 Venus 3.1°S of moon
Jan 07 04:57 Saturn 3.3°S of moon
Jan 07 11:34 Venus 6.3°N of Antares
Jan 08 18 Mercury closest to sun (perihelion)
Jan 10 01:30 NEW MOON
Jan 14 14 Mercury at inferior conjunction
Jan 14 15:48 Moon at descending node
Jan 15 02:10 Moon closest to Earth (perigee): 369,619 km
Jan 16 23:26 FIRST QUARTER MOON
Jan 20 02:16 Aldebaran 0.5°S of moon
Jan 24 01:46 FULL MOON
Jan 26 05:10 Regulus 2.5°N of moon
Jan 27 23:58 Moon at ascending node
Jan 28 01:14 Jupiter 1.4°N of moon (closest from North America on January 27)
Jan 30 09:10 Moon farthest from Earth (apogee): 404,553 km
Jan 30 11:35 Spica 5.0°S of moon
FEBRUARY, 2016
DATE….TIME…EVENT
Feb 01 03:28 LAST QUARTER MOON
Feb 01 08:48 Mars 2.7°S of moon
Feb 03 19:05 Saturn 3.5°S of moon
Feb 06 07:32 Venus 4.3°S of moon
Feb 06 16:47 Mercury 3.8°S of moon
Feb 07 01 Mercury at greatest elongation: 25.6°W
Feb 08 14:39 NEW MOON
Feb 10 20:46 Moon at descending node
Feb 11 02:42 Moon at perigee: 364358 km
Feb 13 03 Mercury 4.0° of Venus
Feb 15 07:46 FIRST QUARTER MOON
Feb 16 07:41 Aldebaran 0.3°S of moon
Feb 21 17 Mercury at aphelion
Feb 22 12:48 Regulus 2.5°N of moon
Feb 22 18:20 FULL MOON
Feb 24 03:58 Jupiter 1.7°N of moon
Feb 24 06:10 Moon at ascending node
Feb 26 19:05 Spica 5.1°S of moon
Feb 27 03:28 Moon at apogee: 405383 km
Feb 28 15 Neptune in conjunction with sun
Feb 29 18:16 Mars 3.6°S of moon
Total solar eclipse of March 20, 2015 as seen by Halda Mohammed in the Faroe Islands.
MARCH, 2016
DATE….TIME…EVENT
Mar 01 23:11 LAST QUARTER MOON
Mar 02 06:53 Saturn 3.6°S of moon
Mar 07 10:54 Venus 3.5°S of moon
Mar 08 10 Jupiter at opposition
Mar 09 01:54 NEW MOON
Mar 09 01:57 Total solar eclipse; mag=1.045
Mar 09 06:31 Moon at descending node
Mar 10 07:02 Moon at perigee: 359509 km
Mar 14 13:44 Aldebaran 0.3°S of moon
Mar 15 17:03 FIRST QUARTER MOON
Mar 20 04:31 Vernal equinox
Mar 20 14 Venus at aphelion
Mar 20 19:05 Regulus 2.5°N of moon
Mar 22 03:57 Jupiter 2.1°N of moon
Mar 22 12:59 Moon at ascending node
Mar 23 11:47 Penumbral lunar eclipse; mag=0.775
Mar 23 12:01 FULL MOON
Mar 23 20 Mercury at superior conjunction
Mar 25 01:50 Spica 5.1°S of moon
Mar 25 14:16 Moon at apogee: 406125 km
Mar 28 18:45 Mars 4.2°S of moon
Mar 29 14:58 Saturn 3.5°S of moon
Mar 31 15:17 LAST QUARTER MOON
View larger. | Meteor over the Montana Rockies by John Ashley. Photo taken April 21, 2015.
MAY, 2016
DATE….TIME…EVENT
May 03 01:27 Moon at descending node
May 04 19 Eta-Aquarid meteor shower
May 06 04:14 Moon at perigee: 357828 km
May 06 19:30 NEW MOON
May 08 08:21 Aldebaran 0.5°S of moon
May 09 15 Mercury at inferior conjunction
May 09 15 Transit of Mercury across sun
May 13 17:02 FIRST QUARTER MOON
May 14 07:06 Regulus 2.3°N of moon
May 15 09:30 Jupiter 2.0°N of moon
May 15 20:39 Moon at ascending node
May 18 14:07 Spica 5.1°S of Moon
May 18 22:06 Moon at apogee: 405934 km
May 21 21:15 FULL MOON
May 22 11 Mars at opposition
May 22 21:59 Saturn 3.2°S of moon
May 29 12:12 LAST QUARTER MOON
May 30 04:45 Moon at descending node
Alexander Kozik in California caught Earth’s shadow as the almost-full moon rose on June 1, 2015.
JUNE, 2016
DATE….TIME…EVENT
Jun 03 06 Saturn at opposition
Jun 03 09:47 Mercury 0.7°N of moon: occultation
Jun 03 10:55 Moon at perigee: 361142 km
Jun 05 03:00 NEW MOON
Jun 05 09 Mercury at greatest elongation: 24.2°W
Jun 06 22 Venus at superior conjunction
Jun 10 14:47 Regulus 2.0°N of moon
Jun 11 19:35 Jupiter 1.5°N of moon
Jun 11 22:20 Moon at ascending node
Jun 12 08:10 FIRST QUARTER MOON
Jun 13 10:06 Mercury 6.4°S of Pleiades
Jun 14 20:47 Spica 5.3°S of moon
Jun 15 12:00 Moon at apogee: 405022 km
Jun 19 00:40 Saturn 3.3°S of moon
Jun 19 03:39 Mercury 3.7°N of Aldebaran
Jun 20 11:02 FULL MOON
Jun 20 22:35 Summer solstice
Jun 26 05:28 Moon at descending node
Jun 27 18:19 LAST QUARTER MOON
View larger. | Comet C2014 Q1 (PANSTARRS) Colin Legg on July 15, 2015, from Australia.
JULY, 2016
DATE….TIME…EVENT
Jul 01 06:45 Moon at perigee: 365983 km
Jul 02 03:58 Aldebaran 0.4°S of moon
Jul 02 16 Mercury at perihelion
Jul 04 11:01 NEW MOON
Jul 04 16 Earth at aphelion: 1.01675 AU
Jul 07 03 Mercury at superior conjunction
Jul 07 23:33 Regulus 1.8°N of moon
Jul 09 01:41 Moon at ascending node
Jul 09 10:08 Jupiter 0.9°N of moon: occultation
Jul 10 23 Venus at perihelion
Jul 12 00:52 FIRST QUARTER MOON
Jul 12 04:13 Spica 5.6°S of Moon
Jul 13 05:24 Moon at apogee: 404272 km
Jul 16 05:11 Saturn 3.4°S of moon
Jul 19 22:57 FULL MOON
Jul 23 07:49 Moon at descending node
Jul 26 23:00 LAST QUARTER MOON
Jul 27 11:25 Moon at perigee: 369659 km
Jul 27 21 Delta-Aquarid meteor shower
Jul 29 10:53 Aldebaran 0.3°S of moon
Jul 30 15:55 Mercury 0.3°N of Regulus
View larger. | Dylan Martin told us, “This is a composite photo of the Perseid meteor shower – 13 images, taken over the span of 2 hours during the early morning of August 13, 2015 – out at Tucson Mountain Park.” Thank you Dylan!
AUGUST, 2016
DATE….TIME…EVENT
Aug 02 20:45 NEW MOON
Aug 04 06:19 Venus 2.9°N of moon
Aug 04 22:12 Mercury 0.6°N of moon: occultation
Aug 05 07:48 Moon at Ascending Node
Aug 05 11:57 Venus 1.0°N of Regulus
Aug 06 03:28 Jupiter 0.2°N of moon: occultation
Aug 08 12:08 Spica 5.8°S of moon
Aug 10 00:05 Moon at apogee: 404266 km
Aug 10 18:21 FIRST QUARTER MOON
Aug 12 12:10 Saturn 3.7°S of moon
Aug 12 12 Perseid meteor shower
Aug 15 16 Mercury at aphelion
Aug 16 21 Mercury at greatest elongation: 27.4°E
Aug 18 09:27 FULL MOON
Aug 19 14:14 Moon at descending node
Aug 20 06 Mercury 3.8° of Jupiter
Aug 22 01:20 Moon at perigee: 367047 km
Aug 24 05:09 Mars 1.8°N of Antares
Aug 25 03:41 LAST QUARTER MOON
Aug 25 16:21 Aldebaran 0.2°S of moon
Aug 28 20 Mercury 5.0° of Venus
“The brightest auroras I have ever seen in my life! This night was epic!” said Ruslan Merzlyakov in Nykøbing Mors, Denmark, in September, 2015.
SEPTEMBER, 2016
DATE….TIME…EVENT
Sep 01 09:03 NEW MOON
Sep 01 09:07 Annular solar eclipse; mag=0.974
Sep 01 15:27 Moon at ascending node
Sep 02 15 Neptune at opposition
Sep 03 10:33 Venus 1.1°S of moon: occultation
Sep 04 19:56 Spica 5.8°S of moon
Sep 04 20:05 Saturn 5.9°N of Antares
Sep 06 18:44 Moon at apogee: 405059 km
Sep 08 21:23 Saturn 3.8°S of moon
Sep 09 11:49 FIRST QUARTER MOON
Sep 13 00 Mercury at inferior conjunction
Sep 15 23:55 Moon at descending node
Sep 16 18:54 Penumbral lunar eclipse; mag=0.908
Sep 16 19:05 FULL MOON
Sep 18 15:15 Venus 2.2°N of Spica
Sep 18 17:00 Moon at perigee: 361894 km
Sep 21 22:13 Aldebaran 0.2°S of moon
Sep 22 14:21 Autumnal equinox
Sep 23 09:56 LAST QUARTER MOON
Sep 26 06 Jupiter in conjunction with sun
Sep 27 22:32 Regulus 1.7°N of moon
Sep 28 15 Mercury at perihelion
Sep 28 19 Mercury at greatest elongation: 17.9°W
Sep 28 22:06 Moon at ascending node
Sep 29 10:42 Mercury 0.7°N of moon: occultation
As seen from Australia on the morning of October 9, 2015, the moon passed in front of Venus. Colin Legg caught this shot at Bremer Bay, Australia. Read more at Colin’s Facebook page.
OCTOBER, 2016
DATE….TIME…EVENT
Oct 01 00:12 NEW MOON
Oct 03 17:30 Venus 5.0°S of moon
Oct 04 11:02 Moon at apogee: 406100 km
Oct 06 08:04 Saturn 3.8°S of moon
Oct 09 04:33 FIRST QUARTER MOON
Oct 13 09:43 Moon at descending node
Oct 15 10 Uranus at opposition
Oct 16 04:23 FULL MOON
Oct 16 23:36 Moon at perigee: 357860 km
Oct 19 06:18 Aldebaran 0.3°S of moon
Oct 21 05 Orionid meteor shower
Oct 22 19:14 LAST QUARTER MOON
Oct 25 04:01 Regulus 1.6°N of moon
Oct 26 01:44 Moon at ascending node
Oct 26 10:56 Venus 3.0°N of Antares
Oct 27 16 Mercury at superior conjunction
Oct 28 09:33 Jupiter 1.4°S of moon
Oct 29 12 Mars at perihelion
Oct 30 17:38 NEW MOON
Oct 31 19:29 Moon at apogee: 406660 km
View larger. | 2015 Taurid fireball leaves a puff of dust. These annual fireballs put on an amazing display for much of November, 2015. Captured by Adam Trenholm.
All times in UTC, the time standard commonly used by nations across the world. Translate to your timezone here.
NOVEMBER, 2016
DATE….TIME…EVENT
Nov 02 19:38 Saturn 3.7°S of moon
Nov 05 05 S Taurid meteor shower
Nov 06 12:07 Mars 5.3°S of moon
Nov 07 19:51 FIRST QUARTER MOON
Nov 09 15:57 Moon at descending node
Nov 12 04 N Taurid meteor shower
Nov 14 11:23 Moon at perigee: 356512 km
Nov 14 13:52 FULL MOON
Nov 15 16:50 Aldebaran 0.4°S of moon
Nov 17 11 Leonid meteor shower
Nov 19 17:51 Beehive 4.3°N of moon
Nov 21 08:33 LAST QUARTER MOON
Nov 21 10:08 Regulus 1.3°N of moon
Nov 22 02:48 Moon at ascending node
Nov 23 19 Mercury 3.4° of Saturn
Nov 25 01:47 Jupiter 1.9°S of moon
Nov 27 20:08 Moon at apogee: 406556 km
Nov 29 12:18 NEW MOON
Susan Jensen in Odessa, Washington caught this photo of the moon and Jupiter on December 30, 2015. Thanks, Susan!
DECEMBER, 2016
DATE….TIME…EVENT
Dec 03 12:34 Venus 5.8°S of moon
Dec 05 10:39 Mars 2.9°S of moon
Dec 06 17:35 Moon at descending node
Dec 07 09:03 FIRST QUARTER MOON
Dec 10 11 Saturn in conjunction with sun
Dec 11 04 Mercury at greatest elongation: 20.8°E
Dec 12 23:27 Moon at perigee: 358463 km
Dec 13 04:14 Aldebaran 0.5°S of Moon
Dec 14 00 Geminid meteor shower
Dec 14 00:06 FULL MOON
Dec 17 03:17 Beehive 4.1°N of moon
Dec 18 18:13 Regulus 1.0°N of moon
Dec 19 04:46 Moon at ascending node
Dec 21 01:56 LAST QUARTER MOON
Dec 21 10:45 Winter solstice
Dec 22 08 Ursid meteor shower
Dec 22 16:37 Jupiter 2.4°S of moon
Dec 25 05:55 Moon at apogee: 405870 km
Dec 25 15 Mercury at perihelion
Dec 28 19 Mercury at inferior conjunction
Dec 29 06:53 NEW MOON
Bottom line: Astronomical events in 2016, including moon phases, conjunction and oppositions of planets, meteor showers and other important dates.
from EarthSky http://ift.tt/1OJbKmD
View larger. | As January, 2016, opens, there are four planets in the predawn sky. Ben Zavala caught them on January 4, 2015. Thanks, Ben!
JANUARY, 2016
DATE….TIME…EVENT
Jan 02 05:30 LAST QUARTER MOON (pronounced neap tides)
Jan 02 11:53 Moon farthest from Earth (apogee): 251,207 miles (404,279 km)
Jan 02 23 Earth closest to sun (perihelion): 91,403,445 miles (147,099,586 km, 0.98330 AU)
Jan 03 03:35 Spica 4.7°S of moon
Jan 03 18:45 Mars 1.5°S of moon
Jan 04 08 Quadrantid meteor shower
Jan 06 23:57 Venus 3.1°S of moon
Jan 07 04:57 Saturn 3.3°S of moon
Jan 07 11:34 Venus 6.3°N of Antares
Jan 08 18 Mercury closest to sun (perihelion)
Jan 10 01:30 NEW MOON
Jan 14 14 Mercury at inferior conjunction
Jan 14 15:48 Moon at descending node
Jan 15 02:10 Moon closest to Earth (perigee): 369,619 km
Jan 16 23:26 FIRST QUARTER MOON
Jan 20 02:16 Aldebaran 0.5°S of moon
Jan 24 01:46 FULL MOON
Jan 26 05:10 Regulus 2.5°N of moon
Jan 27 23:58 Moon at ascending node
Jan 28 01:14 Jupiter 1.4°N of moon (closest from North America on January 27)
Jan 30 09:10 Moon farthest from Earth (apogee): 404,553 km
Jan 30 11:35 Spica 5.0°S of moon
FEBRUARY, 2016
DATE….TIME…EVENT
Feb 01 03:28 LAST QUARTER MOON
Feb 01 08:48 Mars 2.7°S of moon
Feb 03 19:05 Saturn 3.5°S of moon
Feb 06 07:32 Venus 4.3°S of moon
Feb 06 16:47 Mercury 3.8°S of moon
Feb 07 01 Mercury at greatest elongation: 25.6°W
Feb 08 14:39 NEW MOON
Feb 10 20:46 Moon at descending node
Feb 11 02:42 Moon at perigee: 364358 km
Feb 13 03 Mercury 4.0° of Venus
Feb 15 07:46 FIRST QUARTER MOON
Feb 16 07:41 Aldebaran 0.3°S of moon
Feb 21 17 Mercury at aphelion
Feb 22 12:48 Regulus 2.5°N of moon
Feb 22 18:20 FULL MOON
Feb 24 03:58 Jupiter 1.7°N of moon
Feb 24 06:10 Moon at ascending node
Feb 26 19:05 Spica 5.1°S of moon
Feb 27 03:28 Moon at apogee: 405383 km
Feb 28 15 Neptune in conjunction with sun
Feb 29 18:16 Mars 3.6°S of moon
Total solar eclipse of March 20, 2015 as seen by Halda Mohammed in the Faroe Islands.
MARCH, 2016
DATE….TIME…EVENT
Mar 01 23:11 LAST QUARTER MOON
Mar 02 06:53 Saturn 3.6°S of moon
Mar 07 10:54 Venus 3.5°S of moon
Mar 08 10 Jupiter at opposition
Mar 09 01:54 NEW MOON
Mar 09 01:57 Total solar eclipse; mag=1.045
Mar 09 06:31 Moon at descending node
Mar 10 07:02 Moon at perigee: 359509 km
Mar 14 13:44 Aldebaran 0.3°S of moon
Mar 15 17:03 FIRST QUARTER MOON
Mar 20 04:31 Vernal equinox
Mar 20 14 Venus at aphelion
Mar 20 19:05 Regulus 2.5°N of moon
Mar 22 03:57 Jupiter 2.1°N of moon
Mar 22 12:59 Moon at ascending node
Mar 23 11:47 Penumbral lunar eclipse; mag=0.775
Mar 23 12:01 FULL MOON
Mar 23 20 Mercury at superior conjunction
Mar 25 01:50 Spica 5.1°S of moon
Mar 25 14:16 Moon at apogee: 406125 km
Mar 28 18:45 Mars 4.2°S of moon
Mar 29 14:58 Saturn 3.5°S of moon
Mar 31 15:17 LAST QUARTER MOON
View larger. | Meteor over the Montana Rockies by John Ashley. Photo taken April 21, 2015.
MAY, 2016
DATE….TIME…EVENT
May 03 01:27 Moon at descending node
May 04 19 Eta-Aquarid meteor shower
May 06 04:14 Moon at perigee: 357828 km
May 06 19:30 NEW MOON
May 08 08:21 Aldebaran 0.5°S of moon
May 09 15 Mercury at inferior conjunction
May 09 15 Transit of Mercury across sun
May 13 17:02 FIRST QUARTER MOON
May 14 07:06 Regulus 2.3°N of moon
May 15 09:30 Jupiter 2.0°N of moon
May 15 20:39 Moon at ascending node
May 18 14:07 Spica 5.1°S of Moon
May 18 22:06 Moon at apogee: 405934 km
May 21 21:15 FULL MOON
May 22 11 Mars at opposition
May 22 21:59 Saturn 3.2°S of moon
May 29 12:12 LAST QUARTER MOON
May 30 04:45 Moon at descending node
Alexander Kozik in California caught Earth’s shadow as the almost-full moon rose on June 1, 2015.
JUNE, 2016
DATE….TIME…EVENT
Jun 03 06 Saturn at opposition
Jun 03 09:47 Mercury 0.7°N of moon: occultation
Jun 03 10:55 Moon at perigee: 361142 km
Jun 05 03:00 NEW MOON
Jun 05 09 Mercury at greatest elongation: 24.2°W
Jun 06 22 Venus at superior conjunction
Jun 10 14:47 Regulus 2.0°N of moon
Jun 11 19:35 Jupiter 1.5°N of moon
Jun 11 22:20 Moon at ascending node
Jun 12 08:10 FIRST QUARTER MOON
Jun 13 10:06 Mercury 6.4°S of Pleiades
Jun 14 20:47 Spica 5.3°S of moon
Jun 15 12:00 Moon at apogee: 405022 km
Jun 19 00:40 Saturn 3.3°S of moon
Jun 19 03:39 Mercury 3.7°N of Aldebaran
Jun 20 11:02 FULL MOON
Jun 20 22:35 Summer solstice
Jun 26 05:28 Moon at descending node
Jun 27 18:19 LAST QUARTER MOON
View larger. | Comet C2014 Q1 (PANSTARRS) Colin Legg on July 15, 2015, from Australia.
JULY, 2016
DATE….TIME…EVENT
Jul 01 06:45 Moon at perigee: 365983 km
Jul 02 03:58 Aldebaran 0.4°S of moon
Jul 02 16 Mercury at perihelion
Jul 04 11:01 NEW MOON
Jul 04 16 Earth at aphelion: 1.01675 AU
Jul 07 03 Mercury at superior conjunction
Jul 07 23:33 Regulus 1.8°N of moon
Jul 09 01:41 Moon at ascending node
Jul 09 10:08 Jupiter 0.9°N of moon: occultation
Jul 10 23 Venus at perihelion
Jul 12 00:52 FIRST QUARTER MOON
Jul 12 04:13 Spica 5.6°S of Moon
Jul 13 05:24 Moon at apogee: 404272 km
Jul 16 05:11 Saturn 3.4°S of moon
Jul 19 22:57 FULL MOON
Jul 23 07:49 Moon at descending node
Jul 26 23:00 LAST QUARTER MOON
Jul 27 11:25 Moon at perigee: 369659 km
Jul 27 21 Delta-Aquarid meteor shower
Jul 29 10:53 Aldebaran 0.3°S of moon
Jul 30 15:55 Mercury 0.3°N of Regulus
View larger. | Dylan Martin told us, “This is a composite photo of the Perseid meteor shower – 13 images, taken over the span of 2 hours during the early morning of August 13, 2015 – out at Tucson Mountain Park.” Thank you Dylan!
AUGUST, 2016
DATE….TIME…EVENT
Aug 02 20:45 NEW MOON
Aug 04 06:19 Venus 2.9°N of moon
Aug 04 22:12 Mercury 0.6°N of moon: occultation
Aug 05 07:48 Moon at Ascending Node
Aug 05 11:57 Venus 1.0°N of Regulus
Aug 06 03:28 Jupiter 0.2°N of moon: occultation
Aug 08 12:08 Spica 5.8°S of moon
Aug 10 00:05 Moon at apogee: 404266 km
Aug 10 18:21 FIRST QUARTER MOON
Aug 12 12:10 Saturn 3.7°S of moon
Aug 12 12 Perseid meteor shower
Aug 15 16 Mercury at aphelion
Aug 16 21 Mercury at greatest elongation: 27.4°E
Aug 18 09:27 FULL MOON
Aug 19 14:14 Moon at descending node
Aug 20 06 Mercury 3.8° of Jupiter
Aug 22 01:20 Moon at perigee: 367047 km
Aug 24 05:09 Mars 1.8°N of Antares
Aug 25 03:41 LAST QUARTER MOON
Aug 25 16:21 Aldebaran 0.2°S of moon
Aug 28 20 Mercury 5.0° of Venus
“The brightest auroras I have ever seen in my life! This night was epic!” said Ruslan Merzlyakov in Nykøbing Mors, Denmark, in September, 2015.
SEPTEMBER, 2016
DATE….TIME…EVENT
Sep 01 09:03 NEW MOON
Sep 01 09:07 Annular solar eclipse; mag=0.974
Sep 01 15:27 Moon at ascending node
Sep 02 15 Neptune at opposition
Sep 03 10:33 Venus 1.1°S of moon: occultation
Sep 04 19:56 Spica 5.8°S of moon
Sep 04 20:05 Saturn 5.9°N of Antares
Sep 06 18:44 Moon at apogee: 405059 km
Sep 08 21:23 Saturn 3.8°S of moon
Sep 09 11:49 FIRST QUARTER MOON
Sep 13 00 Mercury at inferior conjunction
Sep 15 23:55 Moon at descending node
Sep 16 18:54 Penumbral lunar eclipse; mag=0.908
Sep 16 19:05 FULL MOON
Sep 18 15:15 Venus 2.2°N of Spica
Sep 18 17:00 Moon at perigee: 361894 km
Sep 21 22:13 Aldebaran 0.2°S of moon
Sep 22 14:21 Autumnal equinox
Sep 23 09:56 LAST QUARTER MOON
Sep 26 06 Jupiter in conjunction with sun
Sep 27 22:32 Regulus 1.7°N of moon
Sep 28 15 Mercury at perihelion
Sep 28 19 Mercury at greatest elongation: 17.9°W
Sep 28 22:06 Moon at ascending node
Sep 29 10:42 Mercury 0.7°N of moon: occultation
As seen from Australia on the morning of October 9, 2015, the moon passed in front of Venus. Colin Legg caught this shot at Bremer Bay, Australia. Read more at Colin’s Facebook page.
OCTOBER, 2016
DATE….TIME…EVENT
Oct 01 00:12 NEW MOON
Oct 03 17:30 Venus 5.0°S of moon
Oct 04 11:02 Moon at apogee: 406100 km
Oct 06 08:04 Saturn 3.8°S of moon
Oct 09 04:33 FIRST QUARTER MOON
Oct 13 09:43 Moon at descending node
Oct 15 10 Uranus at opposition
Oct 16 04:23 FULL MOON
Oct 16 23:36 Moon at perigee: 357860 km
Oct 19 06:18 Aldebaran 0.3°S of moon
Oct 21 05 Orionid meteor shower
Oct 22 19:14 LAST QUARTER MOON
Oct 25 04:01 Regulus 1.6°N of moon
Oct 26 01:44 Moon at ascending node
Oct 26 10:56 Venus 3.0°N of Antares
Oct 27 16 Mercury at superior conjunction
Oct 28 09:33 Jupiter 1.4°S of moon
Oct 29 12 Mars at perihelion
Oct 30 17:38 NEW MOON
Oct 31 19:29 Moon at apogee: 406660 km
View larger. | 2015 Taurid fireball leaves a puff of dust. These annual fireballs put on an amazing display for much of November, 2015. Captured by Adam Trenholm.
All times in UTC, the time standard commonly used by nations across the world. Translate to your timezone here.
NOVEMBER, 2016
DATE….TIME…EVENT
Nov 02 19:38 Saturn 3.7°S of moon
Nov 05 05 S Taurid meteor shower
Nov 06 12:07 Mars 5.3°S of moon
Nov 07 19:51 FIRST QUARTER MOON
Nov 09 15:57 Moon at descending node
Nov 12 04 N Taurid meteor shower
Nov 14 11:23 Moon at perigee: 356512 km
Nov 14 13:52 FULL MOON
Nov 15 16:50 Aldebaran 0.4°S of moon
Nov 17 11 Leonid meteor shower
Nov 19 17:51 Beehive 4.3°N of moon
Nov 21 08:33 LAST QUARTER MOON
Nov 21 10:08 Regulus 1.3°N of moon
Nov 22 02:48 Moon at ascending node
Nov 23 19 Mercury 3.4° of Saturn
Nov 25 01:47 Jupiter 1.9°S of moon
Nov 27 20:08 Moon at apogee: 406556 km
Nov 29 12:18 NEW MOON
Susan Jensen in Odessa, Washington caught this photo of the moon and Jupiter on December 30, 2015. Thanks, Susan!
DECEMBER, 2016
DATE….TIME…EVENT
Dec 03 12:34 Venus 5.8°S of moon
Dec 05 10:39 Mars 2.9°S of moon
Dec 06 17:35 Moon at descending node
Dec 07 09:03 FIRST QUARTER MOON
Dec 10 11 Saturn in conjunction with sun
Dec 11 04 Mercury at greatest elongation: 20.8°E
Dec 12 23:27 Moon at perigee: 358463 km
Dec 13 04:14 Aldebaran 0.5°S of Moon
Dec 14 00 Geminid meteor shower
Dec 14 00:06 FULL MOON
Dec 17 03:17 Beehive 4.1°N of moon
Dec 18 18:13 Regulus 1.0°N of moon
Dec 19 04:46 Moon at ascending node
Dec 21 01:56 LAST QUARTER MOON
Dec 21 10:45 Winter solstice
Dec 22 08 Ursid meteor shower
Dec 22 16:37 Jupiter 2.4°S of moon
Dec 25 05:55 Moon at apogee: 405870 km
Dec 25 15 Mercury at perihelion
Dec 28 19 Mercury at inferior conjunction
Dec 29 06:53 NEW MOON
Bottom line: Astronomical events in 2016, including moon phases, conjunction and oppositions of planets, meteor showers and other important dates.
Eclipses of the sun and moon excite more interest than any other event in astronomy. And no wonder. It’s a thrill to go outdoors, witness these grand spectacles of nature, and stand in line with the sun, Earth and moon. How rare are these events? Follow the links below to learn more about lunar and solar eclipses.
A total solar eclipse in August, 1999 by Fred Espenak. It’s a combination of 22 photographs that were digitally processed to highlight faint features. The outer pictures of the sun’s corona were digitally altered to enhance dim, outlying waves and filaments. The inner pictures of the usually dark moon were enhanced to bring out its faint glow from doubly reflected sunlight. This image was NASA’s Astronomy Picture of the Day for April 8, 2001.
This is what a total eclipse of the moon looks like. This is the total lunar eclipse of October 27, 2004 via Fred Espenak of NASA, otherwise known as Mr. Eclipse. Visit Fred’s page here.
How many solar or lunar eclipses occur in one calendar year? The answer very much depends on the year. One calendar year has a minimum of four eclipses – two solar eclipses and two lunar eclipses. Most years – such as 2015 – have only four eclipses, although you can have years with five eclipses (2013, 2018 and 2019), six eclipses (2011 and 2020) or even as many as seven eclipses (1982 and 2038).
It is rare to have seven eclipses in one calendar year, however. The last time was 1982 and the next time will be 2038. Any calendar year presenting the maximum seven eclipses must have the first eclipse coming in early January, in order to leave enough room for the seventh eclipse to take place in late December. Then the middle part of the year has to stage three eclipses within the framework a single lunar month – the period of time between successive new moons or full moons. The lunar (or synodic) month has a mean duration of 29.53059 days.
Is it possible to have three eclipses in one month? It’s quite rare to have three eclipses in one calendar month. The last time it happened was in the year 2000, and the next time won’t be until the year 2206!
It’s more common to have three eclipses within one lunar month. A lunar month refers to time period between successive new moons, or successive full moons. The last time three eclipses happened in a lunar month was in the year 2013. The next time will be 2018.
Three eclipses in a month can be either two solar eclipses and one lunar eclipse, or two lunar eclipses and one solar eclipse. If the first of three eclipses is a solar eclipse, then the third eclipse will be solar and the middle one lunar. If, on the other hand, the first eclipse is lunar, the third will be lunar and the middle one solar. That’s because a solar eclipse happens within one fortnight (two weeks) of a lunar eclipse – and vice versa.
Some cool things about years with seven eclipses. Notice the two-week separations accompanying the eclipse pairs and eclipse triplets in the lists below. We list the seven eclipses for the years 1982 (4 solar/3 lunar) and 2038 (3 solar/4 lunar):
1982 (Seven eclipses: 4 solar/3 lunar)
2038 (Seven eclipses: 3 solar/4 lunar)
Jan 9 lunar eclipse
Jan 5 solar eclipse
Jan 25 solar eclipse
Jan 21 lunar eclipse
Jun 21 solar eclipse
Jun 17 lunar eclipse
Jul 6 lunar eclipse
Jul 2 solar eclipse
Jul 20 solar eclipse
Jul 16 lunar eclipse
Dec 15 solar eclipse
Dec 11 lunar eclipse
Dec 30 lunar eclipse
Dec 26 solar eclipse
A year containing seven eclipses can harbor a maximum of five solar or five lunar eclipses. In this scenario, two lunar months contain three eclipses each (for a total of six eclipses), and a single eclipse happens in late December or early January.
1935 (Seven eclipses: 5 solar/2 lunar)
2132 (Seven eclipses: 2 solar/5 lunar)
Jan 5 solar eclipse
Jan 2 lunar eclipse
Jan 19 lunar eclipse
Feb 3 solar eclipse
May 30 lunar eclipse
Jun 13 solar eclipse
Jun 30 solar eclipse
Jun 28 lunar eclipse
Jul 16 lunar eclipse
Jul 30 solar eclipse
Nov 23 lunar eclipse
Dec 7 solar eclipse
Dec 25 solar eclipse
Dec 22 lunar eclipse
Seven eclipses occur in a minimum of 12 lunar months (about 354.37 days). Given that the calendar year is only about eleven days longer than 12 lunar months, the first of the seven eclipses has to come in early January for the seventh eclipse to occur before the end of the year.
A solar eclipse always happens within one fortnight (two weeks) of a lunar eclipse – or vice versa. Yet it’s still possible that eclipses separated by a fortnight can occur in differentcalendar years. For instance, the solar eclipse at the end of the year on December 25, 1935, was followed by a lunar eclipse one fortnight (two weeks) later on January 8, 1936. In another example, the lunar eclipse at the beginning of the year on January 2, 2132, will come one fortnight after the solar eclipse of December 19, 2131.
Can there be eight eclipses in a calendar year? No. Eight eclipses occur in a minimal period of 12.5 lunar months (about 369 days), making it impossible for eight eclipses to fit within the framework of a calendar year (365 or 366 days).
Although a minimum of two lunar eclipses happen every year, one or both could be penumbral, meaning the moon never enters the Earth’s dark umbral shadow. In the year 2016, both lunar eclipses will be penumbral. The diagram illustrates the penumbral lunar eclipse of March 23, 2016.
Bottom line: Any calendar year has a minimum of four eclipses – two solar and two lunar. Most years have only four eclipses, but depending on the year, it’s possible to have five eclipses, six eclipses or even as many as seven eclipses in one year’s time.
Eclipses of the sun and moon excite more interest than any other event in astronomy. And no wonder. It’s a thrill to go outdoors, witness these grand spectacles of nature, and stand in line with the sun, Earth and moon. How rare are these events? Follow the links below to learn more about lunar and solar eclipses.
A total solar eclipse in August, 1999 by Fred Espenak. It’s a combination of 22 photographs that were digitally processed to highlight faint features. The outer pictures of the sun’s corona were digitally altered to enhance dim, outlying waves and filaments. The inner pictures of the usually dark moon were enhanced to bring out its faint glow from doubly reflected sunlight. This image was NASA’s Astronomy Picture of the Day for April 8, 2001.
This is what a total eclipse of the moon looks like. This is the total lunar eclipse of October 27, 2004 via Fred Espenak of NASA, otherwise known as Mr. Eclipse. Visit Fred’s page here.
How many solar or lunar eclipses occur in one calendar year? The answer very much depends on the year. One calendar year has a minimum of four eclipses – two solar eclipses and two lunar eclipses. Most years – such as 2015 – have only four eclipses, although you can have years with five eclipses (2013, 2018 and 2019), six eclipses (2011 and 2020) or even as many as seven eclipses (1982 and 2038).
It is rare to have seven eclipses in one calendar year, however. The last time was 1982 and the next time will be 2038. Any calendar year presenting the maximum seven eclipses must have the first eclipse coming in early January, in order to leave enough room for the seventh eclipse to take place in late December. Then the middle part of the year has to stage three eclipses within the framework a single lunar month – the period of time between successive new moons or full moons. The lunar (or synodic) month has a mean duration of 29.53059 days.
Is it possible to have three eclipses in one month? It’s quite rare to have three eclipses in one calendar month. The last time it happened was in the year 2000, and the next time won’t be until the year 2206!
It’s more common to have three eclipses within one lunar month. A lunar month refers to time period between successive new moons, or successive full moons. The last time three eclipses happened in a lunar month was in the year 2013. The next time will be 2018.
Three eclipses in a month can be either two solar eclipses and one lunar eclipse, or two lunar eclipses and one solar eclipse. If the first of three eclipses is a solar eclipse, then the third eclipse will be solar and the middle one lunar. If, on the other hand, the first eclipse is lunar, the third will be lunar and the middle one solar. That’s because a solar eclipse happens within one fortnight (two weeks) of a lunar eclipse – and vice versa.
Some cool things about years with seven eclipses. Notice the two-week separations accompanying the eclipse pairs and eclipse triplets in the lists below. We list the seven eclipses for the years 1982 (4 solar/3 lunar) and 2038 (3 solar/4 lunar):
1982 (Seven eclipses: 4 solar/3 lunar)
2038 (Seven eclipses: 3 solar/4 lunar)
Jan 9 lunar eclipse
Jan 5 solar eclipse
Jan 25 solar eclipse
Jan 21 lunar eclipse
Jun 21 solar eclipse
Jun 17 lunar eclipse
Jul 6 lunar eclipse
Jul 2 solar eclipse
Jul 20 solar eclipse
Jul 16 lunar eclipse
Dec 15 solar eclipse
Dec 11 lunar eclipse
Dec 30 lunar eclipse
Dec 26 solar eclipse
A year containing seven eclipses can harbor a maximum of five solar or five lunar eclipses. In this scenario, two lunar months contain three eclipses each (for a total of six eclipses), and a single eclipse happens in late December or early January.
1935 (Seven eclipses: 5 solar/2 lunar)
2132 (Seven eclipses: 2 solar/5 lunar)
Jan 5 solar eclipse
Jan 2 lunar eclipse
Jan 19 lunar eclipse
Feb 3 solar eclipse
May 30 lunar eclipse
Jun 13 solar eclipse
Jun 30 solar eclipse
Jun 28 lunar eclipse
Jul 16 lunar eclipse
Jul 30 solar eclipse
Nov 23 lunar eclipse
Dec 7 solar eclipse
Dec 25 solar eclipse
Dec 22 lunar eclipse
Seven eclipses occur in a minimum of 12 lunar months (about 354.37 days). Given that the calendar year is only about eleven days longer than 12 lunar months, the first of the seven eclipses has to come in early January for the seventh eclipse to occur before the end of the year.
A solar eclipse always happens within one fortnight (two weeks) of a lunar eclipse – or vice versa. Yet it’s still possible that eclipses separated by a fortnight can occur in differentcalendar years. For instance, the solar eclipse at the end of the year on December 25, 1935, was followed by a lunar eclipse one fortnight (two weeks) later on January 8, 1936. In another example, the lunar eclipse at the beginning of the year on January 2, 2132, will come one fortnight after the solar eclipse of December 19, 2131.
Can there be eight eclipses in a calendar year? No. Eight eclipses occur in a minimal period of 12.5 lunar months (about 369 days), making it impossible for eight eclipses to fit within the framework of a calendar year (365 or 366 days).
Although a minimum of two lunar eclipses happen every year, one or both could be penumbral, meaning the moon never enters the Earth’s dark umbral shadow. In the year 2016, both lunar eclipses will be penumbral. The diagram illustrates the penumbral lunar eclipse of March 23, 2016.
Bottom line: Any calendar year has a minimum of four eclipses – two solar and two lunar. Most years have only four eclipses, but depending on the year, it’s possible to have five eclipses, six eclipses or even as many as seven eclipses in one year’s time.
The next eclipse is a total eclipse of the sun on March 8-9, 2016, caused by a new supermoon. The path of totality for that eclipse will pass mainly over the waters of the Pacific Ocean. Only those along that long, narrow path can see the total solar eclipse. The path of totality starts at sunrise in the Indian Ocean to the west of Indonesia, and then goes eastward across the Indian and Pacific Oceans until it ends to the west of North America at sunset. A much larger swath of the world gets to see varying degrees of a partial solar eclipse. Hawaii and Alaska will see the partial eclipse at late afternoon on March 8, while south and eastern Asia, Korea, Japan, north and western Australia will see it on the morning of March 9. Want to learn more about eclipses? Check out the links below.
Eclipses in 2016
March 9: Total solar eclipse
March 23: Penumbral lunar eclipse
September 1: Annular solar eclipse
September 16: Penumbral lunar eclipse
The video below – from the beautiful website shadowandsubstance.com by Larry Koehn shows the path of the March 8-9, 2016 total solar eclipse. The wider circle indicates who will see the partial eclipse.
Get ready for a total solar eclipse visible from continental U.S. in 2017. It’ll happen on Monday, August 21, 2017 – with the path of totality cross from coast to coast – the first total solar eclipse visible on U.S. soil in a generation. The total eclipse will begin as the moon’s dark umbral shadow touches down in the northern Pacific and crosses the USA from west to east through parts of the following states: Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, Georgia, and South Carolina. The moon’s penumbral shadow will produce a partial eclipse visible from a much larger region covering most of North America. You can find more about the eclipse from EarthSky partner Fred Espenak, here.
Fortnight (approximate two-week) separation between solar and lunar eclipses. A solar eclipse always takes place within one fortnight of any lunar eclipse. For instance, in 2015, the total solar eclipse on March 20 comes one fortnight before the Blood Moon total lunar eclipse of April 4. The partial solar eclipse on September 13 occurs one fortnight before the Blood Moon total lunar eclipse of September 28. In 2016, the total solar eclipse of March 9 happens one fortnight before the penumbral lunar eclipse of March 23; and the September 1 annular solar eclipse takes place one fortnight before the September 16 penumbral lunar eclipse.
Somewhat rarely, a solar eclipse can occur one fortnight before and after a lunar eclipse. This will next happen in the year 2018:
July 13: Partial solar eclipse
July 27: Total lunar eclipse
August 11: Partial solar eclipse
Somewhat rarely, a lunar eclipse can come one fortnight before and after a solar eclipse. This will next happen in the year 2020:
June 5: Penumbral lunar eclipse
June 21: Annular solar eclipse
July 5: Penumbral lunar eclipse
The next eclipse is a total eclipse of the sun on March 8-9, 2016, caused by a new supermoon. The path of totality for that eclipse will pass mainly over the waters of the Pacific Ocean. Only those along that long, narrow path can see the total solar eclipse. The path of totality starts at sunrise in the Indian Ocean to the west of Indonesia, and then goes eastward across the Indian and Pacific Oceans until it ends to the west of North America at sunset. A much larger swath of the world gets to see varying degrees of a partial solar eclipse. Hawaii and Alaska will see the partial eclipse at late afternoon on March 8, while south and eastern Asia, Korea, Japan, north and western Australia will see it on the morning of March 9. Want to learn more about eclipses? Check out the links below.
Eclipses in 2016
March 9: Total solar eclipse
March 23: Penumbral lunar eclipse
September 1: Annular solar eclipse
September 16: Penumbral lunar eclipse
The video below – from the beautiful website shadowandsubstance.com by Larry Koehn shows the path of the March 8-9, 2016 total solar eclipse. The wider circle indicates who will see the partial eclipse.
Get ready for a total solar eclipse visible from continental U.S. in 2017. It’ll happen on Monday, August 21, 2017 – with the path of totality cross from coast to coast – the first total solar eclipse visible on U.S. soil in a generation. The total eclipse will begin as the moon’s dark umbral shadow touches down in the northern Pacific and crosses the USA from west to east through parts of the following states: Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, Georgia, and South Carolina. The moon’s penumbral shadow will produce a partial eclipse visible from a much larger region covering most of North America. You can find more about the eclipse from EarthSky partner Fred Espenak, here.
Fortnight (approximate two-week) separation between solar and lunar eclipses. A solar eclipse always takes place within one fortnight of any lunar eclipse. For instance, in 2015, the total solar eclipse on March 20 comes one fortnight before the Blood Moon total lunar eclipse of April 4. The partial solar eclipse on September 13 occurs one fortnight before the Blood Moon total lunar eclipse of September 28. In 2016, the total solar eclipse of March 9 happens one fortnight before the penumbral lunar eclipse of March 23; and the September 1 annular solar eclipse takes place one fortnight before the September 16 penumbral lunar eclipse.
Somewhat rarely, a solar eclipse can occur one fortnight before and after a lunar eclipse. This will next happen in the year 2018:
July 13: Partial solar eclipse
July 27: Total lunar eclipse
August 11: Partial solar eclipse
Somewhat rarely, a lunar eclipse can come one fortnight before and after a solar eclipse. This will next happen in the year 2020:
June 5: Penumbral lunar eclipse
June 21: Annular solar eclipse
July 5: Penumbral lunar eclipse
Sergio Emilio Montúfar Codoñer in Guatemala wrote:
… we were close enough to see the lava and the impressive sound and the strong activity displayed this night.
Volcán de Fuego has erupted frequently since the Spanish conquest and has been continuously active since 1999. Typical activity includes dozens of small-scale explosive eruptions each day. It sits about 9.9 miles (16 km) to the west of Antigua, Guatemala, and – as you might guess – is one of Guatemala’s most famous tourist attractions. Here’s a webcam.
Thank you, Sergio!
Bottom line: A photo of the ongoing, very active eruption of stratovolcano Volcán de Fuego in Guatemala.
Sergio Emilio Montúfar Codoñer in Guatemala wrote:
… we were close enough to see the lava and the impressive sound and the strong activity displayed this night.
Volcán de Fuego has erupted frequently since the Spanish conquest and has been continuously active since 1999. Typical activity includes dozens of small-scale explosive eruptions each day. It sits about 9.9 miles (16 km) to the west of Antigua, Guatemala, and – as you might guess – is one of Guatemala’s most famous tourist attractions. Here’s a webcam.
Thank you, Sergio!
Bottom line: A photo of the ongoing, very active eruption of stratovolcano Volcán de Fuego in Guatemala.
