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Solar System Phenomena — Earth and Moon in 2023

Moon Phases in 2023

The Full Moons in 2023

Selected events for the Earth and the Moon are listed below. The lunation number refers to the Brown Lunation Number which is numbered from the first New Moon of 1923. The occultation of the open cluster M45 (Pleiades) refers to the occultation of the brightest star in the group, η Tauri (Alcyone).

January
1Moonascending node
Moonlunar occultation: 0.7° north of Uranus (visible from northeastern United States, northern Canada, the Arctic, Greenland, Iceland, British Isles, Scandinavia and northwestern Russia)
3Moonlunar occultation: 0.5° south of Mars (visible from southern Africa and Madagascar)
4Earthperihelion: 0.983 au
6MoonFULL
8Moonapogee
15MoonLAST QUARTER
16Moondescending node
21MoonNEW: lunation 1238
Moonperigee: nearest (356,570 km)
28MoonFIRST QUARTER
Moonascending node
29Moonlunar occultation: 0.9° north of Uranus (visible from Alaska, Siberia and the Arctic)
31Moonlunar occultation: 0.1° south of Mars (visible from the southern United States, Mexico, Central America and northern South America)
February
4Moonapogee
5MoonFULL: Micro Moon (smallest angular diameter of the year)
12Moondescending node
13MoonLAST QUARTER
19Moonperigee
20MoonNEW: lunation 1239
22Moonlunar occultation: 1.2° south of Jupiter (visible from southeastern South America and the Falkland Islands)
24Moonascending node
25Moonlunar occultation: 1.3° north of Uranus (visible from Baffin Island)
27MoonFIRST QUARTER
28Moonlunar occultation: 1.1° north of Mars (visible from northern Scandinavia, Iceland and the Arctic)
March
3Moonapogee
7MoonFULL
11Moondescending node
15MoonLAST QUARTER
19Moonperigee
20Earthequinox
21MoonNEW: lunation 1240
22Moonlunar occultation: 0.5° south of Jupiter (visible from northeastern South America)
24Moonascending node
Moonlunar occultation: 0.1° south of Venus (visible from southeast Asia)
29MoonFIRST QUARTER
31Moonapogee
April
6MoonFULL
7Moondescending node
13MoonLAST QUARTER
16Moonperigee
19Moonlunar occultation: 0.1° north of Jupiter (daytime event)
20EarthMoonhybrid solar eclipse
MoonNEW: lunation 1241
Moonascending node
27MoonFIRST QUARTER
28Moonapogee: nearest (404,300 km)
May
4Moondescending node
5EarthMoonpenumbral lunar eclipse
MoonFULL
11Moonperigee
12MoonLAST QUARTER
17Moonlunar occultation: 0.8° north of Jupiter (visible from Mexico and the west coast of North America)
Moonascending node
19MoonNEW: lunation 1242
26Moonapogee
27MoonFIRST QUARTER
June
1Moondescending node
4MoonFULL
6Moonperigee
10MoonLAST QUARTER
14Moonascending node
18MoonNEW: lunation 1243
21Earthsolstice
22Moonapogee
26MoonFIRST QUARTER
28Moondescending node
July
3MoonFULL
4Moonperigee
6Earthaphelion: 1.017 au
10MoonLAST QUARTER
11Moonascending node
17MoonNEW: lunation 1244
20Moonapogee
25Moondescending node
MoonFIRST QUARTER
August
1MoonFULL
2Moonperigee
7Moonascending node
8MoonLAST QUARTER
16MoonNEW: lunation 1245
Moonapogee: farthest (406,635 km)
21Moondescending node
24MoonFIRST QUARTER
25Moonlunar occultation: 1.1° north of α Scorpii (Antares) (visible from central and eastern United States)
30Moonperigee
31MoonFULL: Super Moon (largest angular diameter of the year), Blue Moon (second full moon in a calendar month)
September
1Moonlunar occultation: 1.4° south of Neptune (visible from Antarctica)
3Moonascending node
5Moonlunar occultation: 1.2° south of the open cluster M45 (Pleiades)
6MoonLAST QUARTER
12Moonapogee
15MoonNEW: lunation 1246
16Moonlunar occultation: 0.7° north of Mars (visible from northern South America)
17Moondescending node
21Moonlunar occultation: 0.9° north of α Scorpii (Antares) (visible from most of Japan)
22MoonFIRST QUARTER
23Earthequinox
28Moonperigee
Moonlunar occultation: 1.4° south of Neptune (visible from Antarctica)
29MoonFULL: Harvest Moon
30Moonascending node
October
3Moonlunar occultation: 1.1° south of the open cluster M45 (Pleiades)
6MoonLAST QUARTER
10Moonapogee
14Moonlunar occultation: 0.7° south of Mercury (daytime event)
EarthMoonannular solar eclipse
MoonNEW: lunation 1247
15Moondescending node
Moonlunar occultation: 1.0° south of Mars (daytime event)
18Moonlunar occultation: 0.9° north of α Scorpii (Antares) (visible from the Middle East)
22MoonFIRST QUARTER
26Moonperigee
28Moonascending node
EarthMoonpartial lunar eclipse
MoonFULL
30Moonlunar occultation: 1.1° south of the open cluster M45 (Pleiades)
November
5MoonLAST QUARTER
6Moonapogee
9Moonlunar occultation: 1.0° north of Venus (visible from Greenland, Iceland and the Arctic)
11Moondescending node
13MoonNEW: lunation 1248
14Moonlunar occultation: 0.7° north of α Scorpii (Antares) (daytime event)
20MoonFIRST QUARTER
21Moonperigee: farthest (369,824 km)
24Moonascending node
27Moonlunar occultation: 1.1° south of the open cluster M45 (Pleiades)
MoonFULL
December
4Moonapogee
5MoonLAST QUARTER
8Moondescending node
12MoonNEW: lunation 1249
Moonlunar occultation: 1.0° north of α Scorpii (Antares) (daytime event)
16Moonperigee
19Moonlunar occultation: 1.3° south of Neptune (visible from Antarctica)
MoonFIRST QUARTER
21Moonascending node
22Earthsolstice
24Moonlunar occultation: 1.1° south of the open cluster M45 (Pleiades)
27MoonFULL

Sources

The dates, times and circumstances of all planetary and lunar phenomena were calculated from the JPL DE406 solar system ephemeris using the same rigorous methods that are employed in the compilation of publications such as The Astronomical Almanac.