Interesting astronomical events from recent years and the years ahead.
Mar 9, 2031
The Moon will be in opposition, with its surface reflecting the maximum amount of sunlight toward Earth. This phase occurs at 04:29 UTC. This Full Moon is called the Worm Moon, because the ground begins to thaw and earthworms emerge, signaling the arrival of spring.
Mar 20, 2031
The March Equinox is the moment when the Sun crosses the celestial equator from south to north. The Sun shines directly on the equator, meaning its light is distributed almost equally between the two hemispheres. As a result, day and night are nearly equal in length all over the world.
May 6 – 7, 2031
A lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth is positioned between the Sun and the Moon, causing the Earth’s shadow to cover the Moon. This phenomenon only happens during the Full Moon phase. A penumbral lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon only passes through the Earth’s penumbral shadow, causing a slight dimming. It is often difficult to notice with the naked eye. This lunar eclipse will be visible in Europe, West in Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Pacific, Atlantic, Indian Ocean, Antarctica.
May 7, 2031
The Moon will be in opposition, with its surface reflecting the maximum amount of sunlight toward Earth. This phase occurs at 03:40 UTC. This Full Moon is called the Flower Moon, because flowers are in full bloom across much of the Northern Hemisphere.
May 21, 2031
A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun, blocking part or all of the Sun’s light as seen from Earth. This phenomenon only happens during the New Moon phase and can only be observed from certain areas on Earth. An annular solar eclipse occurs when the Moon is too far from the Earth to completely cover the Sun, creating a bright ring of light surrounding the Moon at the maximum phase. This solar eclipse will be visible in Much of Asia, North/West Australia, South/East Africa, Pacific, Atlantic, Indian Ocean.
Jun 5, 2031
A lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth is positioned between the Sun and the Moon, causing the Earth’s shadow to cover the Moon. This phenomenon only happens during the Full Moon phase. A penumbral lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon only passes through the Earth’s penumbral shadow, causing a slight dimming. It is often difficult to notice with the naked eye. This lunar eclipse will be visible in Much of Asia, Australia, South/West North America, South/West South America, Pacific, Atlantic, Indian Ocean, Antarctica.
Jun 5, 2031
The Moon will be in opposition, with its surface reflecting the maximum amount of sunlight toward Earth. This phase occurs at 11:58 UTC. This Full Moon is called the Strawberry Moon, named for the short strawberry harvest season. In Europe, it is sometimes called the Rose Moon. This Full Moon is a supermoon because it occurs when the Moon is at its closest point to Earth in its elliptical orbit, making it appear slightly larger and brighter than usual. In addition, this Full Moon will also coincide with a penumbral lunar eclipse, when the Moon enters the Earth’s penumbral shadow. At this time, the Moon only appears dimmer.
Sep 1, 2031
The Moon will be in opposition, with its surface reflecting the maximum amount of sunlight toward Earth. This phase occurs at 09:20 UTC. This Full Moon is called the Corn Moon, as it coincides with the corn harvest season in many agricultural societies.
Sep 23, 2031
The September Equinox is the moment when the Sun crosses the celestial equator from north to south. The Sun shines directly on the equator, and sunlight is distributed almost equally between the two hemispheres. As a result, day and night are nearly equal in length all around the world.
Sep 30, 2031
The Moon will be in opposition, with its surface reflecting the maximum amount of sunlight toward Earth. This phase occurs at 18:57 UTC. This Full Moon is called the Corn Moon, as it coincides with the corn harvest season in many agricultural societies.
Oct 29 – 30, 2031
A lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth is positioned between the Sun and the Moon, causing the Earth’s shadow to cover the Moon. This phenomenon only happens during the Full Moon phase. A penumbral lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon only passes through the Earth’s penumbral shadow, causing a slight dimming. It is often difficult to notice with the naked eye. This lunar eclipse will be visible in Much of Europe, North/East Asia, Much of Australia, North/West Africa, North America, South America, Pacific, Atlantic, Arctic, Antarctica.
Oct 30, 2031
The Moon will be in opposition, with its surface reflecting the maximum amount of sunlight toward Earth. This phase occurs at 07:32 UTC. This Full Moon is called a Blue Moon, because this is the second Full Moon that occurs within the same calendar month.
Nov 14, 2031
A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun, blocking part or all of the Sun’s light as seen from Earth. This phenomenon only happens during the New Moon phase and can only be observed from certain areas on Earth. A total solar eclipse occurs when the Moon completely covers the Sun, revealing the Sun’s outer atmosphere known as the corona. This solar eclipse will be visible in Much of North America, North/West South America, Pacific, Atlantic.
Nov 28, 2031
The Moon will be in opposition, with its surface reflecting the maximum amount of sunlight toward Earth. This phase occurs at 23:18 UTC. This Full Moon is called the Beaver Moon, because beavers build their dams and prepare for winter, and historically it was the best time to set beaver traps.
Dec 22, 2031
The December Solstice is the time when the Sun reaches its farthest position south of the celestial equator and shines directly over the Tropic of Capricorn. The Northern Hemisphere receives the least amount of sunlight of the year, resulting in the shortest day and the longest night there, while the Southern Hemisphere experiences its longest day.
Dec 28, 2031
The Moon will be in opposition, with its surface reflecting the maximum amount of sunlight toward Earth. This phase occurs at 17:33 UTC. This Full Moon is called the Cold Moon, as it occurs during the long, cold nights of early winter.
Jun 21, 2031
The June Solstice is the time when the Sun reaches its farthest position north of the celestial equator and shines almost directly overhead at the Tropic of Cancer. The Northern Hemisphere receives the most sunlight of the year, resulting in the longest day and the shortest night there, while the Southern Hemisphere experiences its shortest day.
