Page Created and Maintained by Ken
Murphy Space
Calendar for 2012
January 1: Grail Space Probes
Arrive at the Moon January 4: Earth at
perihelion—closest point to the Sun
February 9: Venus & Uranus
very close together—need telescope to see Uranus February 20: 50th anniversary
of John Glenn’s first orbital flight February 29: Leap Day
March 3: Mars at opposition
(seen in sky all night) March 11: Spring ahead!
Daylight Saving Time begins March 14-15: Venus &
Jupiter conjunction—evening sky March 20: Spring
begins—officially at 12:14am CDT
April 15: Saturn at
opposition—up all night
May 20: Annular Solar Eclipse
visible in SW United States, small partial eclipse will be visible in
Minnesota just before sunset starting at 7:30 p.m.
June 4: Partial Lunar
Eclipse—better visibility in western America, very limited visibility
in Marshall starting around 5:15 a.m. Just as Moon is setting. June 5: Venus Transit—last one
for 105 years! 5:14 p.m. To 11:15 p.m. in Marshall June 20: Summer starts at the
solstice, 6:09pm CDT June 29: Dwarf planet Pluto at
opposition
July 4: Earth at
aphelion—farthest point from the Sun July 9: Venus & bright star
Aldebaran—morning sky July 27: Dawn spacecraft leaves
asteroid Vesta for dwarf planet Ceres where it will arrive in 2015
August 6: Landing! Mars Science
Laboratory (Curiosity Rover) August 12: Perseid Meteor
Shower peaks August 23: Neptune at opposition
September 22: Fall
arrives—Autumnal Equinox at 9:49am CDT September 28: Uranus at
opposition
October 3: Venus & bright
star Regulus—morning sky October 4: 55th anniversary of
Sputnik launch and orbit
November 4: Fall back! Daylight
Saving Time Ends November 13: Total Solar
Eclipse—N. Australia, South Pacific November 27: Venus & Saturn
together in morning sky
December 2: Jupiter at
opposition December 13: Geminid Meteor
Shower peaks December 21: Winter commences
at solstice, 5:12am CST http://www2.jpl.nasa.gov/calendar/
