Sky Calendar for 2009

January

1 International Year of Astronomy 2009 (IYA)

3 Quadrantid Meteor Shower

4 First Quarter Moon

4 Mercury greatest E. of Sun

10 Full Moon (Largest of the year)

14 Venus greatest E. of Sun

15 Earth closest to Sun 91, 401,000 miles

17 Last Quarter Moon

26 New Moon Annular Eclipse *

February

2 First Quarter Moon

9 Full Moon Penumbral Eclipse *

13 Mercury greatest W. of Sun

16 Last Quarter Moon

19 Venus greatest brilliance -4.8

24 New Moon

March

4 First Quarter Moon

8 Saturn at opposition

10 Full Moon

18 Last Quarter Moon

20 Equinox (Spring Begins)

26 New Moon

April

2 First Quarter Moon

9 Full Moon

17 Last Quarter Moon

21 Lyrid Meteor Shower

22 Occultation of Venus by Moon

24 New Moon

26 Mercury greatest E. of Sun

May

1 First Quarter Moon

2 Global Astronomy Day

2 Venus at greatest illumination

5 Aquarid Meteor Shower

8 Full Moon

17 Last Quarter Moon

17 Double shadow transit on Jupiter

24 New Moon

30 First Quarter Moon

June

1 Double shadow transit on Jupiter

5 Venus greatest W. of Sun

7 Full Moon

9 Double Shadow transit on Jupiter

13 Mercury greatest W. of Sun

15 Last Quarter Moon

16 Double shadow transit on Jupiter

20 Summer Solstice (Summer Begins)

22 New Moon

23 Pluto at opposition

29 First Quarter Moon

July

7 Full Moon Penumbral Eclipse *

7 Moon smallest of the year

15 Last Quarter Moon

21 New Moon Total Solar Eclipse *

(Longest solar eclipse until 2132)

28 First Quarter Moon

28 Aquarid Meteor Shower

August

5 Full Moon Penumbral Eclipse *

12 Perseid Meteor Shower

13 Last Quarter Moon

14 Jupiter at opposition

17 Neptune at opposition

20 New Moon

24 Mercury greatest E. of Sun

27 First Quarter Moon

September

2 Double shadow transit on Jupiter

4 Full Moon

11 Last Quarter Moon

17 Uranus at opposition

18 New Moon

22 Equinox (Autumn Begins)

25 First Quarter Moon

October

3 Full Moon

5 Mercury greatest W. of Sun

8 Draconid Meteor Shower

11 Last Quarter Moon

17 New Moon

21 Orionid Meteor Shower

25 First Quarter Moon

November

1 Mars next to M44 star cluster

2 Full Moon

5 Taurid Meteor Shower

9 Last Quarter Moon

16 New Moon

17 Leonid Meteor Shower

21 Monocerotids Meteor Shower

24 First Quarter Moon

December

2 Full Moon

8 Last Quarter Moon

13 Geminid Meteor Shower

16 New Moon

18 Mercury greatest E. of Sun

20 Double shadow transit on Jupiter

21 Solstice (Winter Begins)

22 Ursid Meteor Shower

24 First Quarter Moon

31 Full Moon (Blue Moon)

* Not visible in Tidewater