1956 brought 12 full moons and 4 eclipses. The eclipses fell: a partial lunar eclipse in Sagittarius on May 24, a total solar eclipse in Gemini on June 8, a total lunar eclipse in Taurus on November 18, and a partial solar eclipse in Sagittarius on December 2. Mercury turned retrograde three times (Jan 18 to Feb 8; May 14 to Jun 7; Sep 13 to Oct 5). The first full moon rose in Leo on January 27. Every full moon, new moon, solar and lunar eclipse, equinox, solstice, planetary ingress, and retrograde station below is computed to the millisecond with the NASA-cross-checked Swiss Ephemeris engine and shown in Eastern Time - Choose your location on the page for your own sky.
January 1956
- Mercury enters Aquarius
- Last Quarter Moon in Libra
- Saturn enters Sagittarius
- New Moon in Capricorn
- Mars enters Sagittarius
- Vesta enters Scorpio
- Venus enters Pisces
- Jupiter Rx enters Leo
- Mercury Retrograde
- First Quarter Moon in Aries
- Sun enters Aquarius
- Pallas enters Aquarius
- Full Moon in Leo
- Uranus Rx enters Cancer
- Juno enters Capricorn
February 1956
- Neptune Retrograde
- Mercury Rx enters Capricorn
- Last Quarter Moon in Scorpio
- Mercury Direct
- Venus enters Aries
- New Moon in Aquarius
- Mercury enters Aquarius
- First Quarter Moon in Taurus
- Ceres enters Pisces
- Sun enters Pisces
- Full Moon in Virgo
- Mars enters Capricorn
March 1956
- Last Quarter Moon in Sagittarius
- Venus enters Taurus
- Mercury enters Pisces
- Neptune Rx enters Libra
- Saturn Retrograde
- New Moon in Pisces
- Vesta Retrograde
- First Quarter Moon in Gemini
- Sun enters Aries (Spring Equinox)
- Full Moon in Libra
- Mercury enters Aries
April 1956
- Last Quarter Moon in Capricorn
- Venus enters Gemini
- Uranus Direct
- New Moon in Aries
- Mercury enters Taurus
- Mars enters Aquarius
- Jupiter Direct
- First Quarter Moon in Cancer
- Sun enters Taurus
- Full Moon in Scorpio
- Mercury enters Gemini
May 1956
- Pallas enters Pisces
- Last Quarter Moon in Aquarius
- Pluto Direct
- Venus enters Cancer
- Ceres enters Aries
- New Moon in Taurus
- Saturn Rx enters Scorpio
- Mercury Retrograde
- Juno Retrograde
- Chiron Retrograde
- Vesta Rx enters Libra
- First Quarter Moon in Leo
- Sun enters Gemini
- Partial Lunar Eclipse (Full Moon) in Sagittarius
- Venus Retrograde
June 1956
- Last Quarter Moon in Pisces
- Mars enters Pisces
- Mercury Direct
- Vesta Direct
- Total Solar Eclipse (New Moon) in Gemini
- Uranus enters Leo
- First Quarter Moon in Virgo
- Pallas Retrograde
- Sun enters Cancer (Summer Solstice)
- Full Moon in Capricorn
- Venus Rx enters Gemini
- Vesta enters Scorpio
July 1956
- Last Quarter Moon in Aries
- Mercury enters Cancer
- Jupiter enters Virgo
- New Moon in Cancer
- Neptune Direct
- Venus Direct
- First Quarter Moon in Libra
- Mercury enters Leo
- Sun enters Leo
- Full Moon in Aquarius
- Saturn Direct
- Last Quarter Moon in Taurus
August 1956
- Pallas Rx enters Aquarius
- Venus enters Cancer
- Mercury enters Virgo
- New Moon in Leo
- Mars Retrograde
- First Quarter Moon in Scorpio
- Ceres Retrograde
- Full Moon in Aquarius
- Sun enters Virgo
- Mercury enters Libra
- Last Quarter Moon in Gemini
- Juno Direct
September 1956
- New Moon in Virgo
- Venus enters Leo
- First Quarter Moon in Sagittarius
- Mercury Retrograde
- Full Moon in Pisces
- Sun enters Libra (Autumn Equinox)
- Vesta enters Sagittarius
- Last Quarter Moon in Cancer
- Mercury Rx enters Virgo
October 1956
- New Moon in Libra
- True Node Rx enters Scorpio
- Mercury Direct
- Venus enters Virgo
- Mars Direct
- Saturn enters Sagittarius
- Mercury enters Libra
- First Quarter Moon in Capricorn
- Chiron Direct
- Pallas Direct
- Neptune enters Scorpio
- Full Moon in Aries
- Pluto enters Virgo
- Sun enters Scorpio
- Last Quarter Moon in Leo
- Mercury enters Scorpio
- Venus enters Libra
November 1956
- New Moon in Scorpio
- First Quarter Moon in Aquarius
- Uranus Retrograde
- Total Lunar Eclipse (Full Moon) in Taurus
- Mercury enters Sagittarius
- Sun enters Sagittarius
- Vesta enters Capricorn
- Last Quarter Moon in Virgo
- Venus enters Scorpio
- Ceres Direct
December 1956
- Pluto Retrograde
- Partial Solar Eclipse (New Moon) in Sagittarius
- Mars enters Aries
- Mercury enters Capricorn
- Juno enters Aquarius
- First Quarter Moon in Pisces
- Jupiter enters Libra
- Full Moon in Gemini
- Venus enters Sagittarius
- Sun enters Capricorn (Winter Solstice)
- Last Quarter Moon in Libra
- New Moon in Capricorn