Occultations, Eclipses, and Solar Transits of Planets (Mercury or Venus)
Visible Each Month:
A.D. 2016

Occultations and Eclipses Visible This Month --

Occultations and Eclipses Visible This Month --

Occultations and Eclipses Visible This Month --

* Tue., March 8, 8:57:11.4 p.m. EST / March 9, 1:57:11.4 UTC - Time of greatest eclipse during the Total Eclipse of the Sun visible in Indonesia and part of the Pacific Ocean. A Partial Solar Eclipse is visible over a wide area including southeastern and eastern portions of Asia, Oceania, most of Australia, and a large part of the Pacific Ocean, along with some visibility in Hawaii and the western section of Alaska.
NEVER look directly at a Solar Eclipse or Eclipse of the Sun unless you have the training and proper equipment to do so safely.
SAFE WAY TO VIEW SOLAR ECLIPSE OR ECLIPSE OF THE SUN

* Mon., March 14, 10:00 a.m. EDT / 14:00 UTC - Star Aldebaran 0.3 degree south of the Moon; occultation: Northern Africa, southeastern portion of Europe, Middle East, India, China, and most of Southeast Asia.

* Wed., March 23, 7:47:11.8 a.m. EDT / 11:47:11.8 UTC - Time of greatest eclipse for the Penumbral Eclipse of the Moon visible over much of the Pacific Ocean, western section of North America, eastern section of Australia, New Zealand, and Japan. Eastern portions of North and South America can view part of the eclipse before moonset, while central and eastern sections of Asia miss the beginning of the eclipse which occurs before moonrise in these areas.
A Penumbral Eclipse of the Moon or Penumbral Lunar Eclipse provides a dim shading of the Moon; do not expect a major change in the brightness of the Moon during this event.
Any Eclipse of the Moon or Lunar Eclipse is completely safe to view with the naked-eye, binoculars, and telescopes.

* Wed., March 23, 8:01 a.m. EDT / 12:01 UTC - Moon Phase: Full Moon (Worm Moon).

Occultations and Eclipses Visible This Month --

* Sat., April 9, 12:00 Midnight EDT / 4:00 UTC - Asteroid Vesta 0.02 degree south of the Moon; occultation: Indonesia, Malaysia, northwestern portion of Australia, most of the Philippines, Micronesia, Hawaii.

* Sun., April 10, 6:00 p.m. EDT / 22:00 UTC - Star Aldebaran 0.3 degree south of the Moon; occultation: Hawaii, most of North America (except Central America, southern Mexico, northern Canada, Alaska), northern Caribbean Islands, Azore Islands.

Occultations and Eclipses Visible This Month --

* Mon., May 9, 7:12:19 a.m. to 2:42:26 p.m. EDT / 11:12:19 to 18:42:26 UTC - Transit of the Planet Mercury across the front of the Sun - Fairly rare event that will only happen 14 times this century.
NEVER look directly at the Sun, a solar eclipse, or a solar transit of a planet with a telescope, binoculars, or any other optical device unless you have the special training and special equipment to do so safely. Otherwise, this would cause PERMANENT BLINDNESS INSTANTLY !
Check with a local planetarium, astronomical observatory, science center or museum, the Astronomy or Physics Department at a local college or university, amateur astronomers' club, or local library. Sometimes, one or more of these organizations will sponsor a safe observing session of this Solar Transit of the Planet Mercury, utilizing professional equipment operated by trained astronomers.
Live, safe images of this event can be viewed on the Internet at < http://live.slooh.com/ >. In south suburban Pittsburgh, live, safe images of this event can be viewed at the Mt. Lebanon Public Library - More Information.

* Mon., May 9, 11:00 a.m. EDT / 15:00 UTC - Mercury in inferior conjunction with the Sun (Mercury not visible, even with a telescope).

Occultations and Eclipses Visible This Month --

* Sat., June 25, 9:00 p.m. EDT / June 26, 1:00 UTC - Neptune 1.2 degrees south of the Moon; occultation: northern and central portions of Europe, western portion of Russia.

Occultations and Eclipses Visible This Month --

* Sat., July 9, 6:00 a.m. EDT / 10:00 UTC - Jupiter 0.9 degree north of the Moon; occultation: southern portion of Madagascar, southern tip of Africa, eastern portion of Antarctica.

* Sat., July 23, 2:00 a.m. EDT / 6:00 UTC - Neptune 1.1 degrees south of the Moon; occultation: central and eastern portions of North America, Greenland, Iceland, northern portion of Scandinavian countries.

* Fri., July 29, 7:00 a.m. EDT / 11:00 UTC - Star Aldebaran 0.3 degree south of the Moon; occultation: Central America, Caribbean, eastern portion of the United States, southern portion of Europe, northern portion of Africa.

Occultations and Eclipses Visible This Month --

* Sat., Aug. 6, 12:00 Midnight EDT / 4:00 UTC - Jupiter 0.2 degree north of the Moon; occultation: eastern portion of Southeast Asia, Papua New Guinea, northernmost portion of Australia, islands in the Pacific Ocean.

* Fri., Aug. 19, 8:00 a.m. EDT / 12:00 UTC - Neptune 1.1 degrees south of the Moon; occultation: East Asia, Alaska, northwestern portion of Canada.

* Thur., Aug. 25, 1:00 p.m. EDT / 17:00 UTC - Star Aldebaran 0.2 degree south of the Moon; occultation: Papua New Guinea, Hawaii, southern portion of the United States, Mexico, northern portion of Central America.

* Thur., Sept. 1, 5:03 a.m. EDT / 9:03 UTC - Moon Phase: New Moon - Lunation # 1159.

* Thur., Sept. 1, 5:06:53.8 a.m. EDT / 9:06:53.8 UTC - Time of greatest eclipse during the Annular Eclipse of the Sun, visible in the southern African nation of Tanzania. This Annular Eclipse also visible in the African nations of Gabon, Congo, and Mozambique, as well as the Indian Ocean island of Madagascar. Partial Solar Eclipse visible over vast majority of Africa, except northern-most part of continent, also visible in much of the Indian Ocean and part of the South Atlantic Ocean.
SAFE WAY TO VIEW SOLAR ECLIPSE OR ECLIPSE OF THE SUN

Occultations and Eclipses Visible This Month --

* Thur., Sept. 1, 5:06:53.8 a.m. EDT / 9:06:53.8 UTC - Time of greatest eclipse during the Annular Eclipse of the Sun, visible in the southern African nation of Tanzania. This Annular Eclipse also visible in the African nations of Gabon, Congo, and Mozambique, as well as the Indian Ocean island of Madagascar. Partial Solar Eclipse visible over vast majority of Africa, except northern-most part of continent, also visible in much of the Indian Ocean and part of the South Atlantic Ocean.
SAFE WAY TO VIEW SOLAR ECLIPSE OR ECLIPSE OF THE SUN

* Fri., Sept. 2, 6:00 p.m. EDT / 22:00 UTC - Jupiter 0.4 degree south of the Moon; occultation: southwestern portion of the United States, Central America, northern portion of South America, Caribbean Sea, eastern portion of Russia.

* Sat., Sept. 3, 7:00 a.m. EDT / 11:00 UTC - Venus 1.1 degrees south of the Moon; occultation: central portion of Russia, northern portion of Mongolia.

* Thur., Sept. 15, 4:00 p.m. EDT / 20:00 UTC - Neptune 1.2 degrees south of the Moon; occultation: Europe, western portion of Russia.

* Fri., Sept. 16, 2:54:16.8 p.m. EDT / 18:54:16.8 UTC - Time of greatest eclipse for the Penumbral Eclipse of the Moon, quite dim lunar eclipse visible in most of the world, but not visible in most of the Americas (but visible at Moon-rise in extreme eastern section of Brazil).

* Fri., Sept. 16, 3:05 p.m. EDT / 19:05 UTC - Moon Phase: Full Moon - Harvest Moon.
Some people consider this Full Moon a so-called "Super Moon."

* Fri., Sept. 16, Evening - Mid-Autumn Festival / Moon Festival - A popular harvest festival celebrated by Chinese and Vietnamese people, dating back over 3,000 years to Moon worship in China's Shang Dynasty. It is celebrated on the date close to the Autumnal Equinox of the Solar Calendar, as well as close to the Harvest Moon. (Within 15 days of the Autumnal Equinox, on the night of the Full Moon between early September to early October of the Gregorian Calendar)

* Sun., Sept. 18, 1:00 p.m. EDT / 17:00 UTC - Moon at perigee: 224,871.749 miles / 361,896 kilometers.

* Wed., Sept. 21, 7:00 p.m. EDT / 23:00 UTC - Star Aldebaran 0.2 degree south of the Moon; occultation: Middle East, eastern portion of Africa, portions of South Asia.

* Thur., Sept. 29, 7:00 a.m. EDT / 11:00 UTC - Mercury 0.7 degree north of the Moon; occultation: eastern portion of South America, southern tip of South Africa, portions of Antarctica.

Occultations and Eclipses Visible This Month --

* Wed., Oct. 19, 3:00 a.m. EDT / 7:00 UTC - Star Aldebaran 0.3 degree south of the Moon; occultation: Mexico, Central America, southeastern portion of Canada, eastern portion of United States, southern portion of Europe, northwestern portion of Africa.

Occultations and Eclipses Visible This Month --

* Tue., Nov. 15, 12:00 Noon EST / 17:00 UTC - Star Aldebaran 0.4 degree south of the Moon; occultation: Middle East, central portion of Asia, Japan.

Occultations and Eclipses Visible This Month --

* Tue., Dec. 13, 12:00 Midnight EST / 5:00 UTC - Star Aldebaran 0.5 degree south of Moon; occultation: United States, northern portion of Mexico, eastern and southern portions of Canada, southern tip of Greenland, far-western portion of Europe, northwestern portion of Africa.

* Sun., Dec. 18, 2:00 p.m. EST / 19:00 UTC - Star Regulus 1.0 degree north of the Moon; occultation: portions of Antarctica, far-southern portion of Australia.