Archive for the ‘Celestial Event’ Category
Celestial Events of 2012
Lets start out by defining what a Celestial Event includes.
A celestial event is an astronomical phenomenon of interest that involves one or more celestial bodies. Examples of celestial events include the various phases of the Moon, meteor showers, comets, solar and lunar eclipses, planetary oppositions, conjunctions, and occultations.
The Celestial Events For The Year Of 2012
January 2012 Celestial Events
Jan 1/2012 6h16m Moon First Quarter
January 3, 4 – Quadrantids Meteor Shower. The Quadrantids are an above average
shower, with up to 40 meteors per hour at their peak. The shower usually peaks
on January 3 & 4, but some meteors can be visible from January 1 – 5. Best
viewing will be from a dark location after midnight. Look for meteors radiating
from the constellation Bootes.
Jan 9/2012 7h32m Full Moon
Jan 16/2012 9h 9m Moon Last Quarter
Jan 23/2012 7h40m New Moon
Jan 31/2012 4h11m Moon First Quarter
February 2012 Celestial Events
Feb 7/2012 9h Mercury in superior conjunction with Sun
Feb 7/2012 21h56m Full Moon
Feb 14/2012 17h 5m Moon Last Quarter
Feb 19/2012 20h Neptune in conjunction with Sun
Feb 21/2012 22h36m New Moon
March 2012 Celestial Events
Mar 1/2012 1h22m Moon First Quarter
Mar 3/2012 19h Mars at opposition
Mar 5/2012 9h Mercury greatest elongation East : 18.2°
Mar 8/2012 9h40m Full Moon
Mar 15/2012 1h26m Moon Last Quarter
Mar 20/2012 5h15m37s Spring Equinox
Mar 21/2012 19h Mercury in inferior conjunction with Sun
Mar 22/2012 14h38m New Moon
Mar 24/2012 18h Uranus in conjunction with Sun
Mar 27/2012 7h Venus greatest elongation East : 46.03°
Mar 30/2012 19h42m Moon First Quarter
April 2012 Celestial Events
Apr 6/2012 19h18m Full Moon
Apr 13/2012 10h50m Moon Last Quarter
Apr 15/2012 18h Saturn at opposition
Apr 18/2012 17h Mercury greatest elongation West : 27.49°
Apr 21/2012 7h19m New Moon
April 21, 22 – Lyrids Meteor Shower. The Lyrids are an average shower, usually
producing about 20 meteors per hour at their peak. These meteors can produce
bright dust trails that last for several seconds. The shower usually peaks on
April 21 & 22, although some meteors can be visible from April 16 – 25. Look for
meteors radiating from the constellation of Lyra after midnight
Apr 29/2012 9h58m Moon First Quarter
May 2012 Celestial Events
May 6/2012 3h36m Full Moon
May 5, 6 – Eta Aquarids Meteor Shower. The Eta Aquarids are a light shower,
usually producing about 10 meteors per hour at their peak. The shower’s peak
usually occurs on May 5 & 6, however viewing should be good on any morning from
May 4 – 7. The radiant point for this shower will be in the constellation
Aquarius. Best viewing is usually to the east after midnight.
May 12/2012 21h48m Moon Last Quarter
May 13/2012 13h Jupiter in conjunction with Sun
May 20/2012 23h48m New Moon
May 20/2012 23h54m Annular Eclipse of the Sun
May 27/2012 11h Mercury in superior conjunction with Sun
May 28/2012 20h17m Moon First Quarter
June 2012 Celestial Events
Jun 4/2012 11h 3m Partial Eclipse of the Moon – magnitude = 0.36
Jun 4/2012 11h14m Full Moon
June 4 – Partial Lunar Eclipse. The eclipse will be visible throughout most of
Asia, Australia, the Pacific Ocean, and the Americas.
Jun 6/2012 1h Venus in inferior conjunction with Sun
Jun 11/2012 10h42m Moon Last Quarter
Jun 19/2012 15h 3m New Moon
Jun 20/2012 23h 9m33s Summer Solstice
Jun 27/2012 3h31m Moon First Quarter
July 2012 Celestial Events
Jul 1/2012 2h Mercury greatest elongation East : 25.74°
Jul 3/2012 18h53m Full Moon
Jul 11/2012 1h49m Moon Last Quarter
Jul 19/2012 4h25m New Moon
Jul 26/2012 8h57m Moon First Quarter
Jul 28/2012 20h Mercury in inferior conjunction with Sun
July 28, 29 – Southern Delta Aquarids Meteor Shower. The Delta Aquarids can
produce about 20 meteors per hour at their peak. The shower usually peaks on
July 28 & 29, but some meteors can also be seen from July 18 – August 18. The
radiant point for this shower will be in the constellation Aquarius. Best
viewing is usually to the east after midnight.
August 2012 Celestial Events
Aug 2/2012 3h28m Full Moon
Aug 9/2012 18h56m Moon Last Quarter
August 12, 13 – Perseids Meteor Shower. The Perseids is one of the best meteor
showers to observe, producing up to 60 meteors per hour at their peak. The
shower’s peak usually occurs on August 13 & 14, but you may be able to see some
meteors any time from July 23 – August 22. The radiant point for this shower
will be in the constellation Perseus. Look to the northeast after midnight.
Aug 15/2012 10h Venus greatest elongation West : 45.8°
Aug 16/2012 12h Mercury greatest elongation West : 18.69°
Aug 17/2012 15h56m New Moon
Aug 24/2012 11h Neptune at opposition
Aug 24/2012 13h55m Moon First Quarter
Aug 31/2012 13h58m Full Moon
September 2012 Celestial Events
Sep 8/2012 13h16m Moon Last Quarter
Sep 10/2012 13h Mercury in superior conjunction with Sun
Sep 16/2012 2h12m New Moon
Sep 22/2012 14h50m11s Autumn Equinox
Sep 22/2012 19h42m Moon First Quarter
Sep 29/2012 7h Uranus at opposition
Sep 30/2012 3h20m Full Moon
October 2012 Celestial Events
Oct 8/2012 7h34m Moon Last Quarter
Oct 15/2012 12h 4m New Moon
Oct 22/2012 3h33m Moon First Quarter
October 21, 22 – Orionids Meteor Shower. The Orionids is an average shower
producing about 20 meteors per hour at their peak. This shower usually peaks on
the 21st, but it is highly irregular. A good show could be experienced on any
morning from October 20 – 24, and some meteors may be seen any time from October
17 – 25. Best viewing will be to the east after midnight
Oct 25/2012 8h Saturn in conjunction with Sun
Oct 26/2012 22h Mercury greatest elongation East : 24.08°
Oct 29/2012 19h52m Full Moon
November 2012 Celestial Events
Nov 7/2012 0h37m Moon Last Quarter
Nov 13/2012 22h 9m New Moon
November 13 – Total Solar Eclipse. The path of totality will only be visible in
parts of extreme northern Australia and the southern Pacific Ocean. A partial
eclipse will be visible in most parts of eastern Australia and New Zealand.
(NASA Map and Eclipse Information | NASA Eclipse Animation)
Nov 13/2012 22h13m Total Eclipse of the Sun
Nov 17/2012 16h Mercury in inferior conjunction with Sun
November 17, 18 – Leonids Meteor Shower. The Leonids is one of the better meteor
showers to observe, producing an average of 40 meteors per hour at their peak.
The shower itself has a cyclic peak year every 33 years where hundreds of
meteors can be seen each hour. The last of these occurred in 2001. The shower
usually peaks on November 17 & 18, but you may see some meteors from November 13
- 20. Look for the shower radiating from the constellation Leo after midnight.
Nov 20/2012 14h32m Moon First Quarter
Nov 28/2012 14h35m Penumbral Eclipse of the Moon – magnitude = 0.90
Nov 28/2012 14h47m Full MoonNovember 28 – Penumbral Lunar Eclipse. The eclipse
will be visible throughout most of Europe, eastern Africa, Asia, Australia, the
Pacific Ocean, and North America.
December 2012 Celestial Events
Dec 3/2012 1h Jupiter at opposition
Dec 4/2012 23h Mercury greatest elongation West : 20.55°
Dec 6/2012 15h33m Moon Last Quarter
Dec 13/2012 8h43m New Moon
December 13, 14 – Geminids Meteor Shower. Considered by many to be the best
meteor shower in the heavens, the Geminids are known for producing up to 60
multicolored meteors per hour at their peak. The peak of the shower usually
occurs around December 13 & 14, although some meteors should be visible from
December 6 – 19. The radiant point for this shower will be in the constellation
Gemini. Best viewing is usually to the east after midnight.
Dec 20/2012 5h20m Moon First Quarter
Dec 21/2012 11h12m55s Winter Solstice
Dec 28/2012 10h21m Full Moon



