Earth Perihelion and Aphelion, 2006

Jan. 4 Perihelion, approx. 15:00¹

July 3 Aphelion, approx. 23:00¹

Equinoxes and Solstices, 2006

March 20 Vernal equinox, 18:26¹

June 21 Summer solstice, 12:26¹

Sept. 23 Autumnal equinox, 04:03¹

Dec. 22 Winter solstice, 00:22¹

Eclipses, 2006

March 14-15 Moon, penumbral (begins 21:21¹), the beginning visible in Africa, Europe, most of Asia (except the northeastern part), western Australia; the end visible in Africa, Europe, South America, and most of North America (except Alaska, and the far western parts of Canada and the United States).

March 29 Sun, total (begins 7:37¹), visible along a path beginning at the eastern tip of South America; extending through northern Africa, ending in central Asia; with a partial phase visible in northern areas of the South Atlantic Ocean, southern areas of the North Atlantic Ocean, Europe, most of Africa, western and central Asia.

Sept. 7 Moon, partial umbral (begins 16:42¹), the beginning visible in the western Pacific Ocean, Asia, Australia, the Indian Ocean, eastern Africa; the end visible in Asia (except the northeastern part), western Australia, the Indian Ocean, Africa, Europe, the eastern Atlantic Ocean.

Sept. 22 Sun, annular (begins 8:40¹), visible along a path beginning in northeastern South America; extending through the southern North Atlantic Ocean, the South Atlantic Ocean; ending in the southwestern Indian Ocean; with a partial phase visible in most of the Atlantic Ocean (except the northern and western parts), South America, western and southern Africa, the southwestern Indian Ocean, and parts of Antarctica.

● ¹Universal time.

● Source: The Astronomical Almanac for the Year 2006 (2004).