Occultations, Eclipses, and Solar Transits of Planets (Mercury or Venus)
Visible Each Month:
A.D. 2020

(Beginning 2007 June)

A.D. 2020

January ** February ** March

April ** May ** June

July ** August ** September

October ** November ** December

Astro Calendar
Current Month

Astro Calendar
Archives

Occultations
Archive

Astronomical Glossary
Click here for links to the Moon, planets, star clusters, stars, and other astronomical terms referred to in this Astronomical Calendar.

Planets Defined --

Planet Mercury *** Planet Venus *** Planet Earth: Aphelion *** Perihelion *** Perihelion of Earth

Moon of Earth: Apogee *** Perigee *** Primary Moon Phases: Primary Phases of Moon Defined -- New Moon *** First Quarter *** Full Moon *** Last (or "Third") Quarter

Planet Mars *** Planet Jupiter *** Planet Saturn *** Planet Uranus *** Planet Neptune *** Dwarf Planet Pluto

NEWS: Astronomy, Space, Science

History of Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science, Pittsburgh


A.D. 2020

2020 January

Occultations and Eclipses Visible This Month --

* Fri., Jan. 10, 2:09:59.2 p.m. EST / 19:09:59.2 UTC - Time of Greatest Eclipse for dim Penumbral Eclipse of the Moon / Penumbral Lunar Eclipse, visible in Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia. Even at peak eclipse, Full Moon brightness dims only slightly. This is the first of four Penumbral Lunar Eclipses in 2020. More information: Link 1 *** Link 2 *** Link 3
NOTE: IT IS SAFE TO LOOK DIRECTLY AT THIS ECLIPSE OF THE MOON / LUNAR ECLIPSE WITH THE NAKED EYES (ONE-POWER), BINOCULARS, OR A TELESCOPE.

* Fri., Jan. 10, 2:21 p.m. EST / 19:21 UTC - Primary Moon Phase: Full Moon - Wolf Moon.

* Wed., Jan. 22, 9:42 p.m. EST / Jan. 23, 2:42 UTC - - Conjunction: Earth's Moon and Jupiter. The crescent Moon passes very close to Jupiter (Moon passes 0.4 degree south of Jupiter). This conjunction will be difficult to see as both objects rise shortly before Local Sunrise. Occultation to occur.

2020 February

Occultations and Eclipses Visible This Month --

* Sun., Feb. 2, 4:00 a.m. EST / 9:00 UTC - Asteroid 4 Vesta 0.5 degree south of the Moon; occultation: southern Asia, eastern portion of Afghanistan, northern section of the Philippines, China, Japan, eastern portion of Russia, Alaska, western portion of Canada.

* Thur., Feb. 13, 5:00 a.m. EST / 10:00 UTC - Asteroid 3 Juno 0.6 degree south of the Moon; occultation: most of North America (not including northeastern Canada), Central America, Caribbean, northern portion of South America.

* Tue., Feb. 18, 8:17 a.m. EST / 13:17 UTC - Mars 0.8 degree south of the Moon; occultation: most of North America (not including Alaska and western Canada), most of Central America, Caribbean, northern portion of South America, southern tip of Greenland, Azores.

* Wed., Feb. 19, 3:00 p.m. EST / 20:00 UTC - Jupiter 0.9 degree north of the Moon; occultation: Antarctica, southern portion of South America.

* Thur., Feb. 20, 3:00 a.m. EST / 8:00 UTC - Dwarf Planet Pluto 0.7 degree north of the Moon; occultation: southeast portion of South America, Antarctica, Kerguelen Islands, southwestern tip of Australia.

2020 March

Occultations and Eclipses Visible This Month --

* Sun., March 1, 1:00 a.m. EST / 6:00 UTC - Asteroid 4 Vesta 0.1 degree north of the Moon; occultation: Hawaii, western and northern parts of Australia, eastern portion of Indonesia, northwestern section of Melanesia, Micronesia.

* Wed., March 18, 4:00 a.m. EDT / 8:00 UTC - Mars 0.7 degree north of the Moon; occultation: southern portion of South America, South Georgia Island, Anarctica, Kerguelen Islands.

* Wed., March 18, 8:00 p.m. EDT / March 19, 0:00 UTC - Saturn 2 degrees north of the Moon.

* Sun., March 29, 3:00 a.m. EDT / 7:00 UTC - Asteroid 4 Vesta 0.2 degree north of the Moon; occultation: southern Indian Ocean, Indonesia, portions of Southeast Asia, Philippines, Micronesia, northern section of Polynesia (NOT including Hawaii.

2020 April

Occultations and Eclipses Visible This Month --

* Tue., April 14, 6:00 p.m. EDT / 22:00 UTC - Dwarf Planet Pluto 1.2 degrees north of the Moon; occultation: a portion of the Antarctic Penninsula.

* Sun., April 26, 7:00 a.m. EDT / 11:00 UTC - Asteroid 4 Vesta 0.1 degree south of the Moon; occultation: central and northeastern portions of Africa, most of the Middle East, southern portion of Kazakhstan, central and northern sections of India, China, most of Southeast Asia, Philippines, southern portion of Japan.

2020 May

Occultations and Eclipses Visible This Month --

* Sun., May 24, 11:00 a.m. EDT / 15:00 UTC - Asteroid 4 Vesta 0.6 degree south of the Moon (conjunction); occultation: the vast majority of North America (NOT, Pacific Coast, Alaska, northwestern portion of Canada), northern portion of the Caribbean Sea, Greenland, most of Europe (NOT south), western portion of Russia, northern portion of the Middle East..

2020 June

Occultations and Eclipses Visible This Month --

* Fri., June 5, 3:12 p.m. EDT / 19:12 UTC - Primary Moon Phase: Full Moon - Strawberry Moon.

* Fri., June 5, 3:25:02.0 p.m. EDT / 19:25:02.0 UTC - Time of Greatest Eclipse - Penumbral Lunar Eclipse / Penumbral Eclipse of the Moon visible in most of Europe, most of Asia, all of Africa, all of Australia, and extreme eastern portion of South America (penumbral lunar eclipse difficult to distinguish, as it makes the Moon appear only slightly dimmer than a normal Full Moon).
More Information: Link 1 *** Link 2 *** Link 3
All Lunar Eclipses / Eclipses of the Moon are safe to view with the naked-eyes (one-power), binoculars, or telescopes.

* Fri., June 19, 4:53 a.m. EDT / 8:53 UTC - Venus 0.7 degree south of the Moon; occultation: Azore Islands, Canary Islands, northern and eastern portions of Canada, Greenland, northwestern section of Europe, northern and central sections of Russia, northern portion of Mongolia. Look for Venus, in the evening sky, then look carefully for a very slender, waxing crescent Moon.

* Sun., June 21, 2:39:59.3 a.m. EDT / 6:39:59.3 UTC - Time of Greatest Eclipse - Annular Solar Eclipse / Annular Eclipse of the Sun visible from a portion of Africa (including the Central African Republic, Congo, and Ethiopia), southern portion of Pakistan, southern portion of India, and China.
A Partial Solar Eclipse / Partial Eclipse of the Sun will be visible in southern and eastern sections of Europe, much of Asia, northern portion of Australia, and much of Africa, Indian Ocean, and Pacific Ocean.
More Information: Link 1 *** Link 2 *** Link 3
SPECIAL ALERT: Never look directly at any Solar Eclipse / Eclipse of the Sun unless you have the proper equipment and proper training to do so safely.
SOLAR ECLIPSE / ECLIPSE OF THE SUN: TIPS FOR SAFE VIEWING

* Sun., June 21, 2:41 a.m. EDT / 6:41 UTC - Primary Moon Phase: New Moon - Lunation # 1206.

2020 July

Occultations and Eclipses Visible This Month --

* Sun., July 5, 12:30:02.2 a.m. EDT / 4:30:02.2 UTC - Time of greatest eclipse for the Penumbral Lunar Eclipse / Penumbral Eclipse of the Moon, visible over most of the Western Hemisphere. This very dim eclipse will be visible in South America, most of North America (except Alaska, the northern-most sections of Canada, Iceland), southern tip of Greenland, most of Africa, Western Europe, Atlantic Ocean, and most of the Pacific Ocean.
A Penumbral Lunar Eclipse / Penumbral Eclipse of the Moon is very dim and difficult to distinguish, as it makes the Moon appear only slightly dimmer than a normal Full Moon.
More information: Link 1 *** Link 2 *** Link 3
All Lunar Eclipses / Eclipses of the Moon are the types of eclipses which are safe to view with the naked-eyes (one-power), binoculars, and telescopes.

* Sun., July 5, 12:44 a.m. EDT / 4:44 UTC - Primary Moon Phase: Full Moon - Buck Moon.

2020 August

Occultations and Eclipses Visible This Month --

* Sun., Aug. 2, 2:00 a.m. EDT / 6:00 UTC - Dwarf Planet Pluto 1.1 degrees north of the Moon: occultation: most of the eastern portion of Antarctica.

* Sun., Aug. 9, 4:00 a.m. EDT / 8:00 UTC - Mars 0.8 degree north of the Moon; occultation: most of the western portion of Antarctica, southeastern portion of South America, Ascension Island (British Overseas Territory of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha in South Atlantic Ocean).

* Sat., Aug. 29, 7:00 a.m. EDT / 11:00 UTC - Dwarf Planet Pluto 1.2 degrees north of the Moon; occultation: most of western Antarctica, Queen Maud Land (Antarctic territory claimed by Norway).

2020 September

Occultations and Eclipses Visible This Month --

* Sun., Sept. 6, 1:00 a.m. EDT / 5:00 UTC - Mars 0.03 degree south of the Moon; occultation: South America (northeastern & central portions), Cape Verde, northern Africa, southern Europe.

2020 October

Occultations and Eclipses Visible This Month --

* Fri., Oct. 2, 11:00 p.m. EDT / Oct. 3, 3:00 UTC - Mars 0.7 degree north of the Moon; occultation: South America (southern and southeastern sections), most of the western section of Antarctica, Ascension Island, Africa (southwestern portion).

2020 November

Occultations and Eclipses Visible This Month --

* Mon., Nov. 30, 4:30 a.m. EST / 9:30 UTC - Primary Moon Phase: Full Moon - Beaver Moon.

* Mon., Nov. 30, 4:42:49.0 a.m. EST / 9:42:49.0 UTC - Time of greatest eclipse for the Penumbral Lunar Eclipse / Penumbral Eclipse of the Moon - Very dimly visible in most of the Western Hemisphere,, northern Europe (not including the central continent), Australia, central and eastern Asia, weather-permitting.
A Lunar Eclipse / Eclipse of the Moon is the only category of eclipses which is safe to view with the naked-eyes (one-power), binoculars, and a telescope.
More information: Link 1 *** Link 2 *** Link 3.*** Penumbral Lunar Eclipse / Penumbral Eclipse of the Moon.

2020 December

Occultations and Eclipses Visible This Month --


NEWS: Astronomy, Space, Science

History of Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science, Pittsburgh