Astronomy Event Calendar for 2012

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Astronomy Events for 2012

This listing gives notable astronomical events in our solar system, including solar and lunar eclipses, meteor showers, periodic comets, phases of the moon, and motions of the planets.

December 2011

Dec 10, 2011: Full Moon phase
Dec 10, 2012: Total lunar eclipse
Dec 13-14, 2011: Geminid meteors
Dec 22, 2011: Winter solstice (05:30 UTC)
Dec 24, 2011: New Moon phase

January 2012

Jan 3-4, 2012: Quadrantids meteor shower
Jan 9, 2012: Full Moon phase
Jan 23, 2012: New Moon phase

February 2012

Feb 7, 2012: Full Moon phase
Feb 21, 2012: New Moon phase

March 2012

Mar 3, 2012: Mars at opposition
Mar 8, 2012: Full Moon phase
Mar 14, 2012: Conjunction of Venus & Jupiter
Mar 20, 2012: Vernal equinox (05:14 UTC)
Mar 22, 2012: New Moon phase

April 2012

Apr 6, 2012: Full Moon phase
Apr 15, 2012: Saturn at opposition
Apr 21, 2012: New Moon phase
Apr 21-22, 2012: Lyrid meteors

May 2012

May 5-6, 2012: Eta Aquarid meteors
May 6, 2012: Full Moon phase
May 20, 2012: New Moon phase
May 20, 2012: Annular solar eclipse

June 2012

Jun 4, 2012: Full Moon phase
Jun 4, 2012: Partial lunar eclipse
Jun 5-6, 2012: Transit of Venus across Sun
Jun 19, 2012: New Moon phase
Jun 20, 2012: Summer Solstice(23:09 UTC)

July 2012

Jul 3, 2012: Full Moon phase
Jul 19, 2012: New Moon phase
Jul 28-29, 2012: Southern Delta Aquarids meteors

August 2012

Aug 2, 2012: Full Moon phase
Aug 12-13, 2012: Perseids meteors
Aug 6-20, 2012: Curiosity Rover lands on Mars
Aug 17, 2012: New Moon phase
Aug 24, 2012: Neptune at opposition
Aug 31, 2012: Full Moon phase (Blue Moon)

September 2012

Sep 16, 2012: New Moon phase
Sep 22, 2012: Autumnal equinox
Sep 29, 2012: Uranus at opposition
Sep 30, 2012: Full Moon phase

October 2012

Oct 15, 2012: New Moon phase
Oct 21-22, 2012: Orionids meteors
Oct 29, 2012: Full Moon phase

November 2012

Nov 13, 2012: New Moon phase
Nov 13, 2012: Total solar eclipse
Nov 17-18, 2012: Leonid meteors
Nov 27, 2012: Conjunction of Venus & Saturn
Nov 28, 2012: Full Moon phase
Nov 28, 2012: Penumbral lunar eclipse

December 2012

Dec 3, 2012: Jupiter at Opposition
Dec 13, 2012: New Moon phase
Dec 13-14, 2012: Geminid meteors
Dec 21, 2012: Winter solstice (11:12 UTC)
Dec 28, 2012: Full Moon phase

Astronomy Event Definitions:

Apogee: point in the Moon's orbit when it is farthest from Earth.

Conjunction: Occurs when two or more bodies appear close together in the sky.

Elongation: is the apparent angular separation of an object from the Sun.

Inferior conjunction: When planet Mercury or Venus pass between the Sun and the Earth.

Occultation: Passage of one object in front of a smaller one, thus obscuring all or part of the background object from view.

Opposition: When a planet farther from the Sun than Earth appears opposite the Sun in the sky. This is the best time to observe a planet.

Perigee: point in the Moon's orbit when it is nearest to Earth.

Stationary: Object appears motionless in the sky due to the turning point between its direct and retrograde motion.

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