Occultations of planets and bright stars are by the Moon unless noted otherwise. General locations are given for these occultations. For observers outside these locations, close conjunctions of the Moon and objects may be observed.
All times are given in Universal Time (UT). To calculate the time for your location, use the following table. Take the UT time and add the time in the table for your time zone.
2008 Events
| Date |
Time (UT) |
Event |
|
|
|
| January |
|
|
| |
|
|
| 2 |
23 |
Earth at perihelion (closest to sun) at 147 million km. |
| 4 |
7 |
Quadrantids meteor shower peaks. Up to 120 per hour |
| 5 |
10 |
Antares occultation in S. America, Antarctica |
| 11 |
1 |
Neptune occultation in S tips Australia, Antarctica, New Zealand |
| 18 |
7 |
Moon about a degree north of the Pleiades (M45) |
| 20 |
0 |
Mars occultation in N Russia, Arctic, NW tip N. America |
| 22 |
5 |
Mercury greatest elongation east. Visible after sunset |
| 24 |
15 |
Regulus occultation in S Indonesia, Australasia, Antarctica |
|
|
|
| February |
|
|
| |
|
|
| 1 |
12 |
Venus 0.7 degrees N of Jupiter |
| 1 |
18 |
Antares occultation Australia, New Zealand, Antarctica, S. America |
| 4 |
6 |
Jupiter 4 degrees N of Moon |
| 4 |
12 |
Venus 4 degrees N of Moon |
| 7 |
4 |
Annular eclipse of the Sun. Antarctica and S Pacific Ocean |
| 14 |
13 |
Moon about a degree north of Pleiades (M45) |
| 16 |
8 |
Mars 1.6 degrees S of Moon |
| 21 |
0 |
Regulus occultation in S. America, Antarctica |
| 21 |
3 |
Total eclipse of moon. Best in the Americas, W Europe, W Africa. Partially visible in Africa, W Asia |
| 24 |
10 |
Saturn at opposition |
| 26 |
2 |
Mercury 1.3 degrees N of Venus |
| 29 |
2 |
Antares occultation in Antarctica, S tips of Australia |
|
|
|
| March |
|
|
| |
|
|
| 3 |
11 |
Mercury greatest elongation west. Visible before sunrise |
| 5 |
14 |
Mercury occultation in S. America, NW Africa |
| 5 |
19 |
Venus occultation in E Melanesia, Polynesia, N. America except NE |
| 5 |
22 |
Neptune occultation in Australia, New Zealand, Polynesia, W Mexico |
| 10 |
17 |
Mars 1.7 degrees N of M35 |
| 12 |
18 |
Moon passes about a degree north of Pleiades (M45) |
| 15 |
3 |
Mars 1.7 degrees S of Moon |
| 19 |
8 |
Regulus occultation in New Zealand, E Melanesia, Polynesia, Antarctica |
| 20 |
6 |
Spring Equinox in Northern Hemisphere, Autumn Equinox in Southern Hemisphere |
| 23 |
10 |
Mercury 1.0 degrees S of Venus |
| 27 |
10 |
Antares occultation in N New Zealand, Polynesia, S S. America, Antarctica |
|
|
|
| April |
|
|
| |
|
|
| 2 |
9 |
Neptune occultation in central S. America, central Africa, Middle East |
| 5 |
1 |
Venus 5 degrees S of Moon |
| 9 |
2 |
Moon about a degree north of Pleiades (M45) |
| 12 |
6 |
Mars occultation in NE Canada, Greenland, Iceland, N Scandinavia |
| 15 |
14 |
Regulus occultation in Madagascar, Antarctica |
| 22 |
4 |
Lyrid meteor shower peaks |
| 23 |
17 |
Antares occultation in S half Australia, New Zealand, Polynesia |
| 24 |
|
Pi-Puppid meteor shower peaks (Southern hemisphere) |
| 29 |
19 |
Neptune occultation in Indonesia, N Australasia, Hawaii |
|
|
|
| May |
|
|
| |
|
|
| 2 |
13 |
Mercury 2 degrees S of Pleiades (M45) |
| 5 |
18 |
Eta-Aquarid meteor shower peaks |
| 6 |
12 |
Moon about a degree north of Pleiades (M45) |
| 10 |
14 |
Mars occultation in N Africa, Europe except N, S Asia |
| 12 |
19 |
Regulus occultation S S. America, Antarctica |
| 14 |
4 |
Mercury greatest elongation east. Visible after sunset |
| 20 |
23 |
Antares occultation in E S. America, S Africa |
| 23 |
6 |
Mars in Beehive (M44) |
| 24 |
11 |
Jupiter 2 degrees N of Moon |
| 27 |
3 |
Neptune occultation in N half of Africa, SE Europe, W Asia |
|
|
|
| June |
|
|
| |
|
|
| 8 |
2 |
Mars occultation in New Zealand |
| 9 |
3 |
Regulus 1.4 degrees N of Moon |
| 9 |
4 |
Venus in superior conjunction, occulted by Sun |
| 17 |
5 |
Antares occultation in Polynesia, S S. America |
| 20 |
|
Pluto at opposition |
| 20 |
13 |
Jupiter 2 degrees N of Moon |
| 21 |
0 |
Summer Solstice in Northern Hemisphere, Winter Solstice in Southern Hemisphere |
| 23 |
8 |
Neptune occultation in N. America except Alaska, S Greenland |
|
|
|
| July |
|
|
| |
|
|
| 1 |
4 |
Mars 0.7 degree N of Regulus |
| 1 |
18 |
Mercury greatest elongation west. Visible in the morning |
| 4 |
7 |
Earth at aphelion (furthest from sun) at 152 million km |
| 9 |
8 |
Jupiter at opposition |
| 11 |
6 |
Mars 0.7 degrees S of Saturn |
| 14 |
12 |
Antares occultation in S half Australia, New Zealand, Polynesia |
| 20 |
13 |
Neptune occultation in E Asia, Japan, Alaska, NW Canada |
| 27 |
16 |
Moon about a degree north of Pleiades (M45) |
| 28 |
20 |
South Delta-Aquarids meteor shower peak |
|
|
|
| August |
|
|
| |
|
|
| 1 |
10 |
Total eclipse of the Sun. N Canada, Greenland, Arctic, central Russia, Mongolia, China |
| 2 |
15 |
Venus 2 degrees N of Moon |
| 10 |
19 |
Antares occultation in central S. America, S tips of Africa and Madagascar |
| 12 |
11 |
Perseid meteor shower peaks |
| 13 |
19 |
Venus 0.2 degrees S of Saturn |
| 15 |
8 |
Neptune at opposition |
| 16 |
0 |
Mercury 0.7 degrees S of Saturn |
| 16 |
19 |
Neptune occultation in NE Africa, E Europe, W and central Asia |
| 16 |
21 |
Partial eclipse of the moon. Best from Eastern Hemisphere, E S. America |
| 23 |
5 |
Mercury 1.3 degrees S of Venus |
| 23 |
22 |
Moon about a degree north of Pleiades (M45) |
|
|
|
| September |
|
|
| |
|
|
| 1 |
|
Aurigid meteor shower peaks |
| 7 |
3 |
Antares occultation in E Australasia, Polynesia, SW S. America |
| 11 |
4 |
Mercury greatest elongation east. Visible after sunset |
| 11 |
20 |
Venus 0.3 degrees N of Mars |
| 13 |
2 |
Neptune occultation in N. America except NW, N tip S. America, Iceland, United Kingdom |
| 13 |
2 |
Uranus at opposition |
| 20 |
4 |
Moon about a degree north of Pleiades (M45) |
| 22 |
16 |
Autumn Equinox in Northern Hemisphere, Spring Equinox in Southern Hemisphere |
| 26 |
15 |
Regulus 1.7 degrees N of Moon |
| 30 |
11 |
Mercury 1.1 degrees N of Moon |
|
|
|
| October |
|
|
| |
|
|
| 4 |
11 |
Antares occultation in S half Africa, Madagascar, W Australasia |
| 7 |
7 |
Jupiter 2 degrees N of Moon |
| 8 |
1 |
Draconid meteor shower peaks |
| 10 |
10 |
Neptune occultation in E Asia, Philippines. Japan, W Alaska |
| 17 |
11 |
Moon about a degree north of Pleiades (M45) |
| 21 |
4 |
Orionid meteor shower peaks |
| 22 |
10 |
Mercury at greatest elongation west. Visible before sunrise. |
| 23 |
21 |
Regulus 1.9 degrees N of Moon |
| 30 |
|
Vesta at opposition |
| 31 |
18 |
Antares occultation in central S. America, W tip Africa |
|
|
|
| November |
|
|
| |
|
|
| 2 |
5 |
Jupiter 1.9 degrees N of Moon |
| 5 |
4 |
S. Taurid meteor shower peaks |
| 6 |
19 |
Neptune occultation in NE tip Canada, United Kingdom except SE, S Scandinavia, Iceland |
| 12 |
4 |
N. Taurid meteor shower peaks |
| 13 |
20 |
Moon about a degree north of Pleiades (M45) |
| 17 |
10 |
Leonid meteor shower peaks |
| 22 |
|
Alpha-Monocerotid meteor shower peaks |
|
|
|
| December |
|
|
| |
|
|
| 1 |
0 |
Venus 2 degrees S of Jupiter |
| 1 |
15 |
Jupiter 1.3 degrees N of Moon |
| 1 |
16 |
Venus occultation in NE tip Canada, Europe, S Scandinavia |
| 4 |
|
Pallas at opposition |
| 5 |
22 |
Mars in conjunction with the Sun |
| 6 |
|
Dec Phoenicid meteor shower peaks (southern hemisphere) |
| 7 |
|
Puppid/Velid meteor shower peaks (southern hemisphere) |
| 11 |
8 |
Moon about a degree north of Pleiades (M45) |
| 13 |
23 |
Geminid meteor shower peaks |
| 21 |
12 |
Winter Solstice in Northern Hemisphere, Summer Solstice in Southern Hemisphere |
| 25 |
7 |
Antares occultation in S half Africa, Madagascar, SE Asia |
| 27 |
1 |
Venus 1.5 degrees S of Neptune |
| 29 |
4 |
Mercury occultation in E Asia, Japan, N Indonesia |
| 29 |
9 |
Jupiter occultation in Australia except E, Antarctica |
