1961 had 13 full moons and 4 eclipses. The eclipses fell: a total solar eclipse in Aquarius on February 15, a partial lunar eclipse in Virgo on March 2, an annular solar eclipse in Leo on August 11, and a partial lunar eclipse in Pisces on August 25. Mercury turned retrograde three times (Feb 12 to Mar 6; Jun 14 to Jul 8; Oct 10 to Oct 31). The first full moon rose in Cancer on January 1. January saw two full moons, a blue moon. 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 1961
- Full Moon in Cancer
- Venus enters Pisces
- Last Quarter Moon in Libra
- Mercury enters Aquarius
- New Moon in Capricorn
- Sun enters Aquarius
- Chiron enters Pisces
- Vesta enters Pisces
- First Quarter Moon in Taurus
- Juno enters Aquarius
- Full Moon in Leo
February 1961
- Mercury enters Pisces
- Venus enters Aries
- Mars Rx enters Gemini
- Mars Direct
- Mars enters Cancer
- Last Quarter Moon in Scorpio
- Neptune Retrograde
- Mercury Retrograde
- Total Solar Eclipse (New Moon) in Aquarius
- Sun enters Pisces
- First Quarter Moon in Gemini
- Mercury Rx enters Aquarius
March 1961
- Partial Lunar Eclipse (Full Moon) in Virgo
- Mercury Direct
- Last Quarter Moon in Sagittarius
- Pallas enters Pisces
- Jupiter enters Aquarius
- Ceres enters Aries
- New Moon in Pisces
- Mercury enters Pisces
- Venus Retrograde
- Sun enters Aries (Spring Equinox)
- First Quarter Moon in Cancer
- Vesta enters Aries
April 1961
- Full Moon in Libra
- Last Quarter Moon in Capricorn
- Juno enters Pisces
- Mercury enters Aries
- New Moon in Aries
- Sun enters Taurus
- First Quarter Moon in Leo
- Mercury enters Taurus
- Uranus Direct
- Full Moon in Scorpio
May 1961
- Venus Direct
- Mars enters Leo
- Last Quarter Moon in Aquarius
- Saturn Retrograde
- Mercury enters Gemini
- New Moon in Taurus
- Pluto Direct
- Sun enters Gemini
- First Quarter Moon in Virgo
- Jupiter Retrograde
- Mercury enters Cancer
- Vesta enters Taurus
- Full Moon in Sagittarius
- Ceres enters Taurus
June 1961
- Venus enters Taurus
- Last Quarter Moon in Pisces
- Chiron Retrograde
- True Node Rx enters Leo
- New Moon in Gemini
- Mercury Retrograde
- First Quarter Moon in Virgo
- Sun enters Cancer (Summer Solstice)
- Full Moon in Capricorn
- Mars enters Virgo
July 1961
- Last Quarter Moon in Aries
- Venus enters Gemini
- Mercury Direct
- New Moon in Cancer
- Pallas Retrograde
- Neptune Direct
- First Quarter Moon in Libra
- Juno enters Aries
- Sun enters Leo
- Full Moon in Aquarius
August 1961
- Last Quarter Moon in Taurus
- Venus enters Cancer
- Mercury enters Leo
- Juno Retrograde
- Annular Solar Eclipse (New Moon) in Leo
- Jupiter Rx enters Capricorn
- Mars enters Libra
- Mercury enters Virgo
- Juno Rx enters Pisces
- First Quarter Moon in Scorpio
- Sun enters Virgo
- Vesta enters Gemini
- Partial Lunar Eclipse (Full Moon) in Pisces
- Venus enters Leo
September 1961
- Last Quarter Moon in Gemini
- Mercury enters Libra
- New Moon in Virgo
- First Quarter Moon in Sagittarius
- Sun enters Libra (Autumn Equinox)
- Ceres Retrograde
- Jupiter Direct
- Venus enters Virgo
- Full Moon in Aries
- Mercury enters Scorpio
- Saturn Direct
- Vesta Retrograde
October 1961
- Last Quarter Moon in Cancer
- Mars enters Scorpio
- New Moon in Libra
- Mercury Retrograde
- First Quarter Moon in Capricorn
- Venus enters Libra
- Mercury Rx enters Libra
- Sun enters Scorpio
- Full Moon in Taurus
- Last Quarter Moon in Leo
- Juno Direct
- Mercury Direct
November 1961
- Uranus enters Virgo
- Jupiter enters Aquarius
- Vesta Rx enters Taurus
- Pallas Direct
- New Moon in Scorpio
- Mercury enters Scorpio
- Venus enters Scorpio
- Chiron Direct
- Mars enters Sagittarius
- First Quarter Moon in Aquarius
- Full Moon in Taurus
- Sun enters Sagittarius
- Last Quarter Moon in Virgo
- Mercury enters Sagittarius
December 1961
- Venus enters Sagittarius
- Uranus Retrograde
- New Moon in Sagittarius
- Pluto Retrograde
- First Quarter Moon in Pisces
- Mercury enters Capricorn
- Full Moon in Gemini
- Sun enters Capricorn (Winter Solstice)
- Mars enters Capricorn
- Juno enters Aries
- Venus enters Capricorn
- Last Quarter Moon in Libra
- Ceres Direct