2016 New Moons: Calendar of 13 new moons

The New Moons 2016 Calendar had 13 new moons, 2 new supermoons, and 2 solar eclipses. Below is an overview of the dates to help you look back at the past.

A new moon is the first lunar phase that happens about once a month or 29.53 days on average. The moon itself is not visible, though you may be able to “see” it because it blocks the visibility of the stars behind it.

Typically there are 12 new moons each year, and 2016 had an additional new moon compared to other years.

Dark photo of moon for the 2016 New Moon Calendar

The dates and times provided by NASA in the United States Eastern Time (ET) account for both Eastern Standard Time (EST) and Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) for part of the year in the United States. Also below is the Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) time. This was previously referred to as Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). Since you may be in a different time zone, the exact dates may shift slightly for your calendar.

When were the new moons in 2016?

The signs and dates of the new moons in 2016 were:

  1. January 9, 2016: new moon in Capricorn
  2. February 8, 2016: new moon in Aquarius
  3. March 8, 2016: new moon in Pisces
  4. April 7, 2016: new moon in Aries
  5. May 6, 2016: new moon in Taurus
  6. June 4, 2016: new moon in Gemini
  7. July 4, 2016: new moon in Cancer
  8. August 2, 2016: new moon in Leo
  9. September 1, 2016: new moon in Virgo
  10. September 30, 2016: new moon in Libra
  11. October 30, 2016: new moon in Scorpio
  12. November 29, 2016: new moon in Sagittarius
  13. December 29, 2016: new moon in Capricorn

The calendar aligned such that the year started and ended with new moons in Capricorn, in different years.

2016 New Moon Calendar

2016 started off with its first new moon in early January setting up the year to have 13 new moons during the year. Here’s a quick summary of the dates of each of the new moons and how they fit into each season.

New MoonNew Moon NameUS Eastern TimeUTC Time
January 9, 2016New Wolf Moon8:30  PM EST1:30 AM UTC
(January 10, 2016)
February 8, 2016New Snow Moon9:39  AM EST2:39 PM UTC
March 8, 2016New Worm Moon8:54  PM EST1:54 AM UTC
(March 9, 2016)
April 7, 2016New Pink Moon7:24 AM EDT11:24 AM UTC
May 6, 2016New Flower Moon3:30 PM EDT7:30 PM UTC
June 4, 2016New Strawberry Moon11:00 PM EDT3:00 AM UTC
(June 5, 2016)
July 4, 2016New Buck Moon7:01 AM EDT11:01 AM UTC
August 2, 2016New Sturgeon Moon4:45 PM EDT8:45 PM UTC
September 1, 2016New Harvest Moon5:03 AM EDT9:03 AM UTC
September 30, 2016New Hunter’s Moon8:12 PM EDT12:12 AM UTC
(October 1, 2016)
October 30, 2016New Beaver Moon1:38 PM EDT5:38 PM UTC
November 29, 2016New Cold Moon7:18  AM EST12:18 PM UTC
December 29, 2016New Wolf Moon1:53  AM EST6:53 AM UTC

For most of 2016, the new moon and full moon for a lunar cycle occurred in the same month, creating a name match.

The first September new moon is called the New Harvest Moon because the September Full Moon was closer to the Autumn Equinox than the October Full Moon.

January 9, 2016: New Moon in Capricorn

The January 2016 new moon was on Saturday January 9, 2016. The first 2016 new moon was called the New Wolf Moon and was the new moon in Capricorn. The January 9th new moon was the first new moon of the Winter 2015-2016 season as the first new moon after the 2015 Winter Solstice.

February 8, 2016: New Moon in Aquarius

The February 2016 new moon was on Monday February 8, 2016. The new moon in 2016 was called the New Snow Moon and was the new moon in Aquarius. The February 8th ew moon was the second new moon of Winter 2015-2016 as the second new moon after the 2015 Winter Solstice.

March 8, 2016 (March 9 UTC): New Moon in Pisces

The March 2016 new moon was on Tuesday March 8, 2016. The third 2016 new moon was called the New Worm Moon and was the new moon in Pisces. The March 8th New Moon was the third and last new moon of Winter 2015-2016 as it occurred before the Spring Equinox. There was a total solar eclipse during the March new moon in 2016.

April 7, 2016: New Moon in Aries

The April 2016 new moon was on Thursday April 7, 2016. The fourth new moon in 2016 was called the New Pink Moon and was the new moon in Aries. The April 7th new moon was the first new moon of Spring as the first new moon after the Spring Equinox. The April New Moon was the first of 2 new supermoons for 2016.

May 6, 2016: New Moon in Taurus

The May 2016 new moon was on Friday May 6, 2016. The fifth 2016 new moon was called the New Flower Moon and was the new moon in Taurus. The May 6th new moon was the second Spring new moon as the second new moon after the Vernal Equinox. The May New Moon was the second of two new supermoons in 2016.

June 4, 2016: New Moon in Gemini

The June 2016 new moon was on Saturday June 4, 2016. The sixth new moon of 2016 was called the New Strawberry Moon and was the new moon in Gemini. The June 4th new moon was the last new moon of Spring as it occurred before the Summer Solstice. Summer began on June 20 in 2016.

July 4, 2016: New Moon in Cancer

The July 2017 new moon was on Monday July 4, 2016. The seventh 2016 new moon was called the New Buck Moon and was the new moon in Cancer. The July 4th new moon was the first new moon of Summer as the first new moon after the Summer Solstice.

August 2, 2016: New Moon in Leo

The August 2016 new moon was on Tuesday August 2, 2016. The eighth new moon in 2016 was called the New Sturgeon Moon and was the new moon in Leo. The August 2nd new moon was the second Summer new moon as the second new moon after the Summer Solstice.

September 1, 2016: New Moon in Virgo

The September 2016 new moon was on Thursday September 1, 2016. The ninth 2016 new moon was called the New Harvest Moon and was the new moon in Virgo. The September 1st new moon was the third and last new moon of Summer as it occurred before the Autumnal Equinox. Autumn began on Thursday September 22, 2016. There was an annular solar eclipse during the September new moon in 2016.

September 30, 2016 (October 1 UTC): New Moon in Libra

The September 2016 Black Moon was on Friday September 30, 2016. The tenth new moon in 2016 was called the New Hunter’s Moon and was the new moon in Libra. The September 30th new moon was the first new moon of Fall as the first new moon after the Autumnal Equinox.

Depending on your time zone, the tenth new moon shifted the beginning of October, making the 2016 black moon the new moon at the end of October instead of September.

October 30, 2016: New Moon in Scorpio

The October 2016 new moon was on Sunday October 30, 2016. The eleventh 2016 new moon was called the New Beaver Moon and was the new moon in Scorpio. The October 30th new moon was the second Fall new moon as the second new moon after Autumnal Equinox.

November 29, 2016: New Moon in Sagittarius

The November 2016 new moon was on Tuesday November 29, 2016. The twelfth new moon of 2016 was called the New Cold Moon and was the new moon in Sagittarius. The November 29th new moon was the third and last new moon of Autumn as it occurred before the Winter Solstice.

December 29, 2016: New Moon in Capricorn

The December 2016 new moon was on Thursday December 29, 2016. The thirteenth and last 2016 new moon was called the New Wolf Moon and was the new moon in Capricorn 2016-2017. The December 29th new moon was the first Winter New Moon as the first new moon after the Winter 2016-2017 Solstice. Winter began on Wednesday December 21, 2016.

Was there a black moon in 2016?

Yes there was a black moon in 2016. Depending on your time zone, either September or October had 2 new moons

There are four potential definitions for a black moon, though all unofficial. As a result, it’s not rare to have a black moon in a year. It’s not possible to have all four in one year.

  • A month with two new moons
  • A month without a full moon, only a new moon
  • A month without a new moon, only a full moon
  • A season with four new moons, making the third a seasonal black moon

Because February has either 28 or 29 days, it’s the only calendar month that may not have both a new moon and a full moon in a given year.

New Moons By Season

Even though there were 13 new moons during 2016, each season had 3 new moons based on how the schedule worked out.

2016 Equinoxes and Solstices

The 2016 dates for the equinoxes and solstices were:

  • Vernal Equinox (Spring): March 20, 2016 at 12:31 AM EDT or 6:03 PM UTC
  • Summer Solstice: June 20, 2016 at 6:35 PM EDT or 11:35 PM UTC
  • Autumnal Equinox: September 22, 2016 at 10:21 AM EDT or 3:21 PM UTC
  • Winter Solstice: December 21, 2016 at 5:45 AM EST or 10:45 AM UTC

Spring 2016 New Moons

The spring season had 3 new moons with the first in April.

The first new moon after Spring Equinox 2016 was on Thursday April 7, 2016 at 7:24 AM EDT or 12:24 PM UTC. The first new moon of spring was also called the New Pink Moon and was the new moon in Aries.

The second new moon after the 2016 Spring Equinox was on Friday May 6, 2016 at 3:30 PM EDT or 8:30 PM UTC. The second Spring new moon was also called the New Flower Moon and was the new moon in Taurus.

The third new moon after the 2016 Spring Equinox was on Saturday June 4, 2016 at 11:00 PM EDT or June 5, 2016 at 4:00 AM UTC. The third and last Spring New Moon was called the New Strawberry Moon and was the new moon in Gemini.

Spring 2016 New Moons

Summer 2016 had 3 new moons with the first in June.

The first new moon after the Summer Solstice 2016 was on Monday July 4, 2016 at 7:01 AM EDT or 12:01 PM UTC. The first Summer New Moon was called the New Buck Moon and was the new moon in Cancer.

The second new moon after the 2016 Summer Solstice was on Tuesday August 2, 2016 at 4:45 PM EDT or 9:45 PM UTC. The second Summer New Moon was called the New Sturgeon Moon and was the new moon in Leo.

The third new moon after the 2016 Summer Solstice was on Thursday September 1, 2016 at 5:03 AM EDT or 10:03 AM UTC. The third and last Summer New Moon was called the New Harvest Moon and was the new moon in Virgo.

Autumn 2016 New Moons

Autumn had 3 new moons with the first in September.

The first new moon after the Autumnal Equinox 2016 was on Friday September 30, 2016 at 8:12 PM EDT or October 1, 2016 at 1:12 AM UTC. The first Autumn New Moon was called the New Hunter’s Moon and was the new moon in Libra.

The second new moon after the Autumnal Equinox 2016 was on Sunday October 30, 2016 at 12:38 PM EDT or 5:38 PM UTC. The second Autumn New Moon was called the New Beaver Moon and was the new moon in Scorpio.

The third new moon after the 2016 Autumnal Equinox was on Tuesday November 29, 2016 at 7:18 AM EST or 12:18 PM UTC. The third Autumn New Moon was called the New Cold Moon and was the new moon in Sagittarius.

Winter 2016-2017 New Moons

Winter had three new moons with the first in December after the Winter Solstice. And the rest of the new moons were in 2017.

The first new moon after the Winter Solstice 2016 was on Thursday December 29, 2016 at 1:53 AM EST or 6:53 AM UTC. The first Winter New Moon was be called the New Wolf Moon and was the new moon in Capricorn.

The second new moon after the 2016 Winter Solstice was on Friday January 27, 2017 at 7:07 PM EST or January 28, 2017 at 12:07 AM UTC. The second Winter New Moon was called the New Snow Moon and was the new moon in Aquarius.

The third new moon after the 2016 Winter Solstice was on Sunday February 26, 2017 at 9:58 AM EST or 2:58 PM UTC. The third Winter New Moon was called the New Worm Moon and was the new moon in Pisces.

2016 Moon Phases in Eastern Time (ET) and UTC

Below are the lunar phases for 2016 including the new moon, first quarter, full moon, and last quarter that were on the schedule for each month. The date and times are based on both the United States Eastern Time Zone and UTC, adjusted for daylight saving time.

Lunar PhaseUS Eastern Date & TimeUTC Date & Time
January Last QuarterJanuary 2, 2016 12:30  AM ESTJanuary 2, 2016 5:30 AM UTC
January New MoonJanuary 9, 2016 8:30  PM ESTJanuary 10, 2016 1:30 AM UTC
January First QuarterJanuary 16, 2016 6:26  PM ESTJanuary 16, 2016 11:26 PM UTC
January Full MoonJanuary 23, 2016 8:46  PM ESTJanuary 24, 2016 1:46 AM UTC
January Last QuarterJanuary 31, 2016 10:28  PM ESTFebruary 1, 2016 3:28 AM UTC
February New MoonFebruary 8, 2016 9:39  AM ESTFebruary 8, 2016 2:39 PM UTC
February First QuarterFebruary 15, 2016 2:46  AM ESTFebruary 15, 2016 7:46 AM UTC
February Full MoonFebruary 22, 2016 1:20  PM ESTFebruary 22, 2016 6:20 PM UTC
March Last QuarterMarch 1, 2016 6:11  PM ESTMarch 1, 2016 11:11 PM UTC
March New MoonMarch 8, 2016 8:54  PM ESTMarch 9, 2016 1:54 AM UTC
March First QuarterMarch 15, 2016 1:03 PM EDTMarch 15, 2016 5:03 PM UTC
March Full MoonMarch 23, 2016 8:01 AM EDTMarch 23, 2016 12:01 PM UTC
March Last QuarterMarch 31, 2016 11:17 AM EDTMarch 31, 2016 3:17 PM UTC
April New MoonApril 7, 2016 7:24 AM EDTApril 7, 2016 11:24 AM UTC
April First QuarterApril 13, 2016 11:59 PM EDTApril 14, 2016 3:59 AM UTC
April Full MoonApril 22, 2016 1:24 AM EDTApril 22, 2016 5:24 AM UTC
April Last QuarterApril 29, 2016 11:29 PM EDTApril 30, 2016 3:29 AM UTC
May New MoonMay 6, 2016 3:30 PM EDTMay 6, 2016 7:30 PM UTC
May First QuarterMay 13, 2016 1:02 PM EDTMay 13, 2016 5:02 PM UTC
May Full MoonMay 21, 2016 5:15 PM EDTMay 21, 2016 9:15 PM UTC
May Last QuarterMay 29, 2016 8:12 AM EDTMay 29, 2016 12:12 PM UTC
June New MoonJune 4, 2016 11:00 PM EDTJune 5, 2016 3:00 AM UTC
June First QuarterJune 12, 2016 4:10 AM EDTJune 12, 2016 8:10 AM UTC
June Full MoonJune 20, 2016 7:02 AM EDTJune 20, 2016 11:02 AM UTC
June Last QuarterJune 27, 2016 2:19 PM EDTJune 27, 2016 6:19 PM UTC
July New MoonJuly 4, 2016 7:01 AM EDTJuly 4, 2016 11:01 AM UTC
July First QuarterJuly 11, 2016 8:52 PM EDTJuly 12, 2016 12:52 AM UTC
July Full MoonJuly 19, 2016 6:57 PM EDTJuly 19, 2016 10:57 PM UTC
July Last QuarterJuly 26, 2016 7:00 PM EDTJuly 26, 2016 11:00 PM UTC
August New MoonAugust 2, 2016 4:45 PM EDTAugust 2, 2016 8:45 PM UTC
August First QuarterAugust 10, 2016 2:21 PM EDTAugust 10, 2016 6:21 PM UTC
August Full MoonAugust 18, 2016 5:27 AM EDTAugust 18, 2016 9:27 AM UTC
August Last QuarterAugust 24, 2016 11:41 PM EDTAugust 25, 2016 3:41 AM UTC
September New MoonSeptember 1, 2016 5:03 AM EDTSeptember 1, 2016 9:03 AM UTC
September First QuarterSeptember 9, 2016 7:49 AM EDTSeptember 9, 2016 11:49 AM UTC
September Full MoonSeptember 16, 2016 3:05 PM EDTSeptember 16, 2016 7:05 PM UTC
September Last QuarterSeptember 23, 2016 5:56 AM EDTSeptember 23, 2016 9:56 AM UTC
September New MoonSeptember 30, 2016 8:12 PM EDTOctober 1, 2016 12:12 AM UTC
October First QuarterOctober 9, 2016 12:33 AM EDTOctober 9, 2016 4:33 AM UTC
October Full MoonOctober 16, 2016 12:23 AM EDTOctober 16, 2016 4:23 AM UTC
October Last QuarterOctober 22, 2016 3:14 PM EDTOctober 22, 2016 7:14 PM UTC
October New MoonOctober 30, 2016 1:38 PM EDTOctober 30, 2016 5:38 PM UTC
November First QuarterNovember 7, 2016 2:51  PM ESTNovember 7, 2016 7:51 PM UTC
November Full MoonNovember 14, 2016 8:52  AM ESTNovember 14, 2016 1:52 PM UTC
November Last QuarterNovember 21, 2016 3:33  AM ESTNovember 21, 2016 8:33 AM UTC
November New MoonNovember 29, 2016 7:18  AM ESTNovember 29, 2016 12:18 PM UTC
December First QuarterDecember 7, 2016 4:03  AM ESTDecember 7, 2016 9:03 AM UTC
December Full MoonDecember 13, 2016 7:05  PM ESTDecember 14, 2016 12:05 AM UTC
December Last QuarterDecember 20, 2016 8:56  PM ESTDecember 21, 2016 1:56 AM UTC
December New MoonDecember 29, 2016 1:53  AM ESTDecember 29, 2016 6:53 AM UTC

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are a few frequently asked questions about the 2016 New Moon Calendar to help you look back the year.

How many new moons were in 2016?

There were 13 new moons in 2016 with most months having one new moon each month of the year. There was a black moon in 2016 with two new moons in either September or October depending on your time zone.

Dark picture of the moon for the New Moons 2016