Full Moon Calendar 2016 with 12 full moons
When are the full moons in 2016? Here’s the Full Moon Calendar 2016 to help you keep track of the year’s 12 full moons, solstices, equinoxes, one seasonal full moon, and a couple of full moon eclipses.
What were the 2016 Full Moon Dates?
In 2016 there were 12 full moons. Here is a quick list of the 2016 Full Moon dates based on the information provided by NASA based on Eastern Time and adjusted for Daylight Saving Time:
- January 23, 2016 8:46 PM EST (January 24, 2016 1:46 AM UTC)
- February 22, 2016 1:20 PM EST (6:20 PM UTC)
- March 23, 2016 8:01 AM EDT (1:01 PM UTC)
- April 22, 2016 1:24 AM EDT (6:24 AM UTC)
- May 21, 2016 5:15 PM EDT (10:15 PM UTC)
- June 20, 2016 7:02 AM EDT (12:02 PM UTC)
- July 19, 2016 6:57 PM EDT (11:57 PM UTC)
- August 18, 2016 5:27 AM EDT (10:27 AM UTC)
- September 16, 2016 3:05 PM EDT(8:05 PM UTC)
- October 16, 2016 12:23 AM EDT (5:23 AM UTC)
- November 14, 2016 8:52 AM EST (1:52 PM UTC)
- December 13, 2016 7:05 PM EST (December 14, 2016 12:05 AM UTC)
Related: 2016 New Moons
Ready to dive a little deeper into the 2016 dates? Take a look at each month, the names associated with each full moon, the eclipses that occurred, and the dates for the equinoxes and solstices.
The dates and times provided by NASA in 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 your local time zone may be different, the exact dates may shift slightly for your calendar.
Full Moon Calendar 2016
In 2016, there were 12 full moons. No calendar blue moons happened that year because none of the moons started with a full moon. There was a seasonal blue moon because the spring season had four full moons. Here’s a quick summary of the dates of each of the full moons, their names, and how they fit into each season.
Here are the dates of the 2016 Full Moons:
January 2016
The January 2016 Full Moon, also called the Full Wolf Moon, was on Saturday, January 23, 2016 20:46 EST or January 24, 2016 01:46 UTC. This was the second full moon of the Winter 2015-2016 season as the second full moon after the 2015 Winter Solstice.
February 2016
The February 2016 Full Moon, also called the Full Snow Moon, was on Monday February 22, 2016 13:20 EST or 18:20 UTC. This was the third and last full moon of the Winter 2015-2016 season.
March 2016
The March 2016 Full Moon, also called the Full Worm Moon, was on Wednesday March 23, 2016 08:01 EST or 12:01 UTC. This was the first full moon of the Spring 2016 season and the first full moon after spring equinox 2016.
There was also a Penumbral Lunar Eclipse at the same time as the full moon, technically 13 minutes before the full moon peak. The moon will pass through the Earth’s penumbra resulting in a slight dimming of the moon’s surface. You likely won’t be able to tell the difference from a regular full moon.
The Vernal Equinox (Spring) was on March 20, 2016 00:31 EST or 05:31 UTC, about a week before the March Full Moon.
April 2016
The April 2016 Full Moon, also called the Full Pink Moon, was on Friday April 22, 2016 01:24 EST or 05:24 UTC. This was the second full moon of the Spring 2016 season as the second full moon after the Spring Equinox.
May 2016
The May 2016 Full Moon, also called the Full Flower Moon, was on Saturday May 21, 2016 17:15 EST or 21:15 UTC. It was the third full moon of the Spring 2016 season.
And the August 2016 full moon was also the third full moon of the Spring 2016 Season. As this season had 4 full moons, this full moon was also a seasonal blue moon.
June 2016
The June 2016 Full Moon, also called the Full Strawberry Moon, was on Monday June 20, 2016 07:02 EST or 12:02 UTC. This was the fourth full moon of the Spring 2016 season as it occurs a few hours before the Summer Solstice.
The Summer Solstice was on the calendar for June 20, 2016 18:35 EST or 23:35 UTC.
July 2016
The July 2016 Full Moon, also called the Full Buck Moon, was on Tuesday July 19, 2016 18:57 EST or 23:57 UTC. This was the first full moon of the Summer 2016 season as the first full moon after the Summer Solstice.
August 2016
The August 2016 Full Moon, also called the Full Sturgeon Moon, was on Thursday August 18, 2016 05:27 EST or 10:27 UTC. This was the second full moon of the Summer 2016 season as the second full moon after the Summer Solstice.
September 2016
The September 2016 Full Moon, also called the Full Harvest Moon, was on Friday September 16, 2016 15:05 EST or 20:05 UTC. This was the third full moon of the Summer 2016 season.
The Autumn Equinox is on the calendar for September 22, 2016 10:21 EST or 15:21 UTC. As the September full moon was closer to the Autumn Equinox than the October full moon, it was called the Full Harvest Moon.
There was also a Penumbral Lunar Eclipse at the same time as the full moon, technically 9 minutes before the full moon peak.
October 2016
The October 2016 Full Moon, also called the Full Hunter’s Moon was on Sunday October 16, 2016 00:23 EST (05:23 UTC). This was the first full moon of the Autumn 2016 season as the first full moon after the Autumnal Equinox.
November 2016
The November 2016 Full Moon, also called the Full Beaver Moon, was on Monday November 14, 2016 08:52 EST (13:52 UTC). This was the second full moon of the Autumn 2016 season as the second full moon after the Autumnal Equinox.
December 2016
The December 2016 Full Moon, also called Full Cold Moon, was on Tuesday December 13, 2016 19:05 EST or December 14, 2016 00:05 UTC. This was the third full moon of the Autumn 2016 season as it occurred about a week before the Winter Solstice.
The Winter Solstice is on the calendar for December 21, 2016 05:45 EST or 10:45 UTC.
What are the names of the 2016 full moons?
The names of the 2016 full moons are as follows:
- January: Full Wolf Moon
- February: Full Snow Moon
- March: Full Worm Moon
- April: Full Pink Moon
- May: Full Flower Moon
- June: Full Strawberry Moon
- July: Full Buck Moon
- August: Full Sturgeon Moon
- September: Full Harvest Moon
- October: Full Hunter’s Moon
- November: Full Beaver Moon
- December: Full Cold Moon
The September full moon is called the Full Harvest Moon because it’s closer to the Autumn Equinox than the October Full Moon.
Was there a blue moon in 2016?
In 2016 there was not a blue moon as no month had 2 full moons. There was a seasonal blue moon during the Spring 2016 season.
The Spring 2016 season had 4 full moons. The third moon in a four moon season is designated as the seasonal blue moon, and for 2016 was the May 2016 full moon on Saturday May 21, 2016 17:15 EST or 21:15 UTC.
There are two definitions of blue moons. The most common, and the one you likely know is when two full moons occur in the same month. The second full moon is typically called a blue moon.
The second definition of a blue moon relates having an extra full moon during a season. When a season has four full moons, the third full moon of the season is also called a blue moon, or a seasonal blue moon to help distinguish between the other definition.
2016 Equinoxes and Solstices
The 2016 dates of 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
The first full moon after Spring Equinox 2016 was on Wednesday March 23, 2016 08:01 EST or 12:01 UTC. It’s the March 2016 full moon, also called the Full Worm Moon.
The first full moon after the Summer Solstice 2016 was on Tuesday July 19, 2016 18:57 EST or 23:57 UTC. It’s the July 2016 full moon, also called the Full Buck Moon.
The first full moon after the Autumn Equinox 2016 was on Sunday October 16, 2016 00:23 EST (05:23 UTC). It was the October 2016 full moon, also called the Full Hunter’s Moon. It’s almost a month after the Autumn Equinox because the September full moon was six days before the Equinox.
The first full moon after the Winter Solstice 2016 was on Thursday January 12, 2017 06:34 EST. It was the January 2017 full moon, also called the Full Wolf Moon. The December 2016 full moon was about a week prior to the solstice.
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 Phase | Date & Time (US Eastern) | UTC Date & Time |
|---|---|---|
| January Last Quarter | January 2, 2016 12:30 AM EST | January 2, 2016 5:30 AM UTC |
| January New Moon | January 9, 2016 8:30 PM EST | January 10, 2016 1:30 AM UTC |
| January First Quarter | January 16, 2016 6:26 PM EST | January 16, 2016 11:26 PM UTC |
| January Full Moon | January 23, 2016 8:46 PM EST | January 24, 2016 1:46 AM UTC |
| January Last Quarter | January 31, 2016 10:28 PM EST | February 1, 2016 3:28 AM UTC |
| February New Moon | February 8, 2016 9:39 AM EST | February 8, 2016 2:39 PM UTC |
| February First Quarter | February 15, 2016 2:46 AM EST | February 15, 2016 7:46 AM UTC |
| February Full Moon | February 22, 2016 1:20 PM EST | February 22, 2016 6:20 PM UTC |
| March Last Quarter | March 1, 2016 6:11 PM EST | March 1, 2016 11:11 PM UTC |
| March New Moon | March 8, 2016 8:54 PM EST | March 9, 2016 1:54 AM UTC |
| March First Quarter | March 15, 2016 1:03 PM EDT | March 15, 2016 6:03 PM UTC |
| March Full Moon | March 23, 2016 8:01 AM EDT | March 23, 2016 1:01 PM UTC |
| March Last Quarter | March 31, 2016 11:17 AM EDT | March 31, 2016 4:17 PM UTC |
| April New Moon | April 7, 2016 7:24 AM EDT | April 7, 2016 12:24 PM UTC |
| April First Quarter | April 13, 2016 11:59 PM EDT | April 14, 2016 4:59 AM UTC |
| April Full Moon | April 22, 2016 1:24 AM EDT | April 22, 2016 6:24 AM UTC |
| April Last Quarter | April 29, 2016 11:29 PM EDT | April 30, 2016 4:29 AM UTC |
| May New Moon | May 6, 2016 3:30 PM EDT | May 6, 2016 8:30 PM UTC |
| May First Quarter | May 13, 2016 1:02 PM EDT | May 13, 2016 6:02 PM UTC |
| May Full Moon | May 21, 2016 5:15 PM EDT | May 21, 2016 10:15 PM UTC |
| May Last Quarter | May 29, 2016 8:12 AM EDT | May 29, 2016 1:12 PM UTC |
| June New Moon | June 4, 2016 11:00 PM EDT | June 5, 2016 4:00 AM UTC |
| June First Quarter | June 12, 2016 4:10 AM EDT | June 12, 2016 9:10 AM UTC |
| June Full Moon | June 20, 2016 7:02 AM EDT | June 20, 2016 12:02 PM UTC |
| June Last Quarter | June 27, 2016 2:19 PM EDT | June 27, 2016 7:19 PM UTC |
| July New Moon | July 4, 2016 7:01 AM EDT | July 4, 2016 12:01 PM UTC |
| July First Quarter | July 11, 2016 8:52 PM EDT | July 12, 2016 1:52 AM UTC |
| July Full Moon | July 19, 2016 6:57 PM EDT | July 19, 2016 11:57 PM UTC |
| July Last Quarter | July 26, 2016 7:00 PM EDT | July 27, 2016 12:00 AM UTC |
| August New Moon | August 2, 2016 4:45 PM EDT | August 2, 2016 9:45 PM UTC |
| August First Quarter | August 10, 2016 2:21 PM EDT | August 10, 2016 7:21 PM UTC |
| August Full Moon | August 18, 2016 5:27 AM EDT | August 18, 2016 10:27 AM UTC |
| August Last Quarter | August 24, 2016 11:41 PM EDT | August 25, 2016 4:41 AM UTC |
| September New Moon | September 1, 2016 5:03 AM EDT | September 1, 2016 10:03 AM UTC |
| September First Quarter | September 9, 2016 7:49 AM EDT | September 9, 2016 12:49 PM UTC |
| September Full Moon | September 16, 2016 3:05 PM EDT | September 16, 2016 8:05 PM UTC |
| September Last Quarter | September 23, 2016 5:56 AM EDT | September 23, 2016 10:56 AM UTC |
| September New Moon | September 30, 2016 8:12 PM EDT | October 1, 2016 1:12 AM UTC |
| October First Quarter | October 9, 2016 12:33 AM EDT | October 9, 2016 5:33 AM UTC |
| October Full Moon | October 16, 2016 12:23 AM EDT | October 16, 2016 5:23 AM UTC |
| October Last Quarter | October 22, 2016 3:14 PM EDT | October 22, 2016 8:14 PM UTC |
| October New Moon | October 30, 2016 12:38 PM EDT | October 30, 2016 5:38 PM UTC |
| November First Quarter | November 7, 2016 2:51 PM EST | November 7, 2016 7:51 PM UTC |
| November Full Moon | November 14, 2016 8:52 AM EST | November 14, 2016 1:52 PM UTC |
| November Last Quarter | November 21, 2016 3:33 AM EST | November 21, 2016 8:33 AM UTC |
| November New Moon | November 29, 2016 7:18 AM EST | November 29, 2016 12:18 PM UTC |
| December First Quarter | December 7, 2016 4:03 AM EST | December 7, 2016 9:03 AM UTC |
| December Full Moon | December 13, 2016 7:05 PM EST | December 14, 2016 12:05 AM UTC |
| December Last Quarter | December 20, 2016 8:56 PM EST | December 21, 2016 1:56 AM UTC |
| December New Moon | December 29, 2016 1:53 AM EST | December 29, 2016 6:53 AM UTC |
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are a few frequently asked questions about the 2016 Full Moon Calendar to help you prepare for the year ahead.
There were 12 full moons in 2016 with one full moon each month of the year. None of the months had a second full moon. There was a seasonal full moon in May 2016, but that did not add an additional full moon to the entire year.
The first full moon of 2016 was on Saturday, January 23, 2016 20:46 EST or January 24, 2016 01:46 UTC. As the January Full Moon, it’s called the Full Wolf Moon.
The next Strawberry Moon 2016 was on Monday June 20, 2016 07:02 EST or 12:02 UTC. It is the name for the June Full moon and is the last full moon of the Spring 2016 season, occurring hours before the Summer Solstice.
The Snow Moon 2016 was on Monday February 22, 2016 13:20 EST or 18:20 UTC. It was the name for the February Full Moon and was the third and last full moon of the Winter 2015-2016 season.
The first full moon after Spring Equinox 2016 was on Wednesday March 23, 2016 08:01 EST or 12:01 UTC. It was the March 2016 full moon, also called the Full Worm Moon.
There was 1 seasonal blue moon in 2016 as the Spring 2016 season had 4 full moons. The May 2016 full moon, also called the Full Flower Moon, was on Saturday May 21, 2016 17:15 EST or 21:15 UTC. It was the third full moon of the Spring 2016 season. There were no calendar blue moons that year as each month had 1 full moon.
