1981 New Moons: Calendar of dates, names, and signs of the 13 new moons
The New Moons 1981 Calendar had 13 new moons, solstices, equinoxes, and solar eclipses to help you look back at past dates.
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 1981 had an additional new moon over the usual pattern of other years.
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.
What were the 1981 New Moon Dates?
The 13 1981 new moons were on:
- January 6, 1981, new moon in Capricorn
- February 4, 1981, new moon in Aquarius
- March 6, 1981, new moon in Pisces
- April 4, 1981, new moon in Aries
- May 4, 1981, new moon in Taurus
- June 2, 1981, new moon in Gemini
- July 1, 1981, new moon in Cancer
- July 30, 1981 (July 31 UTC), new moon in Leo
- August 29, 1981, new moon in Virgo
- September 28, 1981, new moon in Libra
- October 27, 1981, new moon in Scorpio
- November 26, 1981, new moon in Sagittarius
- December 26, 1981, new moon in Capricorn
New Moon Calendar 1981
1981 started off with its first new moon in early January, setting up the year to have the 13 new moons during the year.
January 6, 1981 (New Wolf Moon)
The January 1981 new moon, also called the New Wolf Moon, was on Tuesday January 6, 1981 at 2:24 AM EST or 7:24 AM UTC. This was the first new moon of the Winter 1980-1981 season as the December 1980 new moon occurred before the Winter Solstice.
February 4, 1981 (New Snow Moon)
The February 1981 new moon, also called the New Snow Moon, was on Wednesday February 4, 1981 at 5:14 PM EST or 10:14 PM UTC. It was the second new moon of the Winter 1980-1981 season. Also during the February New Moon, there was an Annular Solar Eclipse.
March 6, 1981 (New Worm Moon)
The March 1981 new moon, also called the New Worm Moon, was on Friday March 6, 1981 at 5:31 AM EST or 10:31 AM UTC. This was the third and last new moon of the Winter 1980-1981 season as it happened a couple of weeks before the Spring Equinox 1981.
April 4, 1981 (New Pink Moon)
The April 1981 new moon, also called the New Pink Moon, was on Saturday April 4, 1981 at 3:19 PM EST or 8:19 PM UTC. This was the first new moon of the Spring 1981 season because the March new moon occurred before the Spring Equinox that year.
May 4, 1981 (New Flower Moon)
The May 1981 New Moon, also called the New Flower Moon, was on Monday May 4, 1981 at 12:19 AM EDT or 4:19 AM UTC. It was the second new moon of the Spring 1981 season.
June 2, 1981 (New Strawberry Moon)
The June 1981 New Moon, also called the New Strawberry Moon, was on Tuesday June 2, 1981 at 7:32 AM EDT or 11:32 AM UTC. This was the third and last new moon of the Spring 1981 season as it happened more than two weeks before the Summer Solstice.
July 1, 1981 (New Buck Moon)
The first July 1981 new moon, also called the New Buck Moon, was on Wednesday July 1, 1981 at 3:03 PM EDT or 7:03 PM UTC. This was the first new moon of the Summer 1981 season.
July 30, 1981 (New Sturgeon Moon)
The second July 1981 new moon, also called the New Sturgeon Moon, was on Thursday July 30, 1981 at 11:52 PM EDT or Friday July 31, 1981 at 3:52 AM UTC. This was the second new moon of the Summer 1981 season. Also during the second July New Moon, there was a Total Solar Eclipse.
August 29, 1981 (New Harvest Moon)
The August 1981 new moon, also called the New Harvest Moon, was on Saturday August 29, 1981 at 10:44 AM EDT or 2:44 PM UTC. This was the third and last new moon of the Summer 1981 season.
September 28, 1981 (New Hunter’s Moon)
The September 1981 new moon, also called the New Hunter’s Moon, was Monday September 28, 1981 at 12:07 AM EDT or 4:07 AM UTC. This was the first new moon of the Fall 1981 season as it happened a few days after the Autumn Equinox.
October 27, 1981 (New Beaver Moon)
The October 1981 New Moon, also called the New Beaver Moon, was on Tuesday October 27, 1981 at 3:13 PM EST or 8:13 PM UTC. It was the second new moon of the Autumn 1981 season.
November 26, 1981 (New Cold Moon)
The November 1981 New Moon, also called the New Cold Moon, was on Thursday November 26, 1981 at 9:38 AM EST or 2:38 PM UTC. It was the third and last new moon of the Autumn 1981 season.
December 26, 1981 (New Wolf Moon)
The December 1981 New Moon, also called the New Wolf Moon, was on Saturday December 26, 1981 at 5:10 AM EST or 10:10 AM UTC. It was the first new moon of the Winter 1981-1982 season, a few days after the Winter Solstice.
Related: 1981 Full Moons
What are the names of 1981 new moons?
The names of the 1981 new moons are as follows:
- January 6: New Wolf Moon
- February 4: New Snow Moon
- March 6: New Worm Moon
- April 4: New Pink Moon
- May 4: New Flower Moon
- June 2: New Strawberry Moon
- July 1: New Buck Moon
- July 30 (July 31 UTC): New Sturgeon Moon
- August 29: New Harvest Moon
- September 28: New Hunter’s Moon
- October 27: New Beaver Moon
- November 26: New Cold Moon
- December 26: New Wolf Moon
For the first half of the 1981, the new moon for the full moon cycle occurred in the same month, result in the names matching. For the second half of the year, the new moon was in the month prior, leaving a mismatch in the names.
The August new moon is called the New Harvest Moon because the September Full Moon was closer to the Autumn Equinox than the October Full Moon.
Was there a black moon in 1981?
In 1981 July had a black moon because it had two new moons, one definition of a black moon.
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.
1981 Equinoxes and Solstices
The 1981 dates for the equinoxes and solstices were as follows:
| Equinox / Solstice | 1981 Date | UTC Time |
|---|---|---|
| Vernal Equinox (Spring) | March 20, 1981 12:03 PM EST | March 20, 1981 5:03 PM UTC |
| Summer Solstice | June 21, 1981 7:45 AM EDT | June 21, 1981 11:45 AM UTC |
| Autumn Equinox | September 22, 1981 11:05 PM EDT | September 23, 1981 3:05 AM UTC |
| Winter Solstice | December 21, 1981 5:51 PM EST | December 21, 1981 10:51 PM UTC |
The first new moon after Spring Equinox 1981 was on Saturday April 4, 1981 at 3:19 PM EST or 8:19 PM UTC. The spring season had 3 new moons.
The first new moon after the Summer Solstice 1981 was on Wednesday July 1, 1981 at 3:03 PM EDT or 7:03 PM UTC. The summer season had 3 new moons.
The first new moon after the Autumn Equinox 1981 was on Monday September 28, 1981 at 12:07 AM EDT or 4:07 AM UTC. The autumn season had 3 new moons.
The first new moon after the Winter Solstice 1981 was on Saturday December 26, 1981 at 5:10 AM EST or 10:10 AM UTC. The winter season had 3 new moons.
1981 Solar Eclipses
During 1981 there were two solar eclipses that coincided with the new moons. There was an Annular Solar Eclipse as part of the February New Moon, with the eclipse happening 6 minutes before the peak of the new moon. There was also a Total Solar Eclipse during the second July New Moon with the eclipse happening 5 minutes before the peak of the new moon.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are a few frequently asked questions about the 1981 New Moon Calendar as you return to the year.
There were 13 new moons in 1981 with most months having one new moon, one month with two, and each season had 3 new moons The extra new moon that year as a black moon at the end of July.
The first new moon of 1981 was on January 6, 1981 at 2:24 AM EST or 7:24 AM UTC. It was in early January. It was also the first new moon of the Winter 1980-1981 season as the December 1980 new moon occurred before the Winter Solstice.
The first new moon of Spring 1981 was Saturday April 4, 1981 at 3:19 PM EST or 8:19 PM UTC. The March 1981 new moon was a couple of weeks before the Spring Equinox so it was part of the Winter 1980-1981 season.
The last new moon in 1981 was on Saturday December 26, 1981 at 5:10 AM EST or 10:10 AM UTC. It was the thirteenth new moon of the year. It was the first new moon of the Winter 1981-1982 season as it was a few days after start of the Winter season began.
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