Across 1981, the sky delivered 12 full moons and 4 eclipses. The eclipses fell: a penumbral lunar eclipse in Leo on January 20, an annular solar eclipse in Aquarius on February 4, a partial lunar eclipse in Capricorn on July 17, and a total solar eclipse in Leo on July 30. Mercury turned retrograde three times (Feb 8 to Mar 2; Jun 9 to Jul 3; Oct 6 to Oct 27). The first full moon rose in Leo on January 20. 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 1981
- New Moon in Capricorn
- Vesta Retrograde
- Venus enters Capricorn
- Mercury enters Aquarius
- First Quarter Moon in Aries
- Saturn Retrograde
- Sun enters Aquarius
- Penumbral Lunar Eclipse (Full Moon) in Leo
- Chiron Direct
- Jupiter Retrograde
- Pluto Retrograde
- Last Quarter Moon in Scorpio
- Mercury enters Pisces
February 1981
- Venus enters Aquarius
- Annular Solar Eclipse (New Moon) in Aquarius
- Mars enters Pisces
- Mercury Retrograde
- Pallas enters Taurus
- First Quarter Moon in Taurus
- Mercury Rx enters Aquarius
- Uranus enters Sagittarius
- Sun enters Pisces
- Full Moon in Virgo
- Juno Retrograde
- Last Quarter Moon in Sagittarius
- Ceres Direct
- Venus enters Pisces
March 1981
- Mercury Direct
- Uranus Retrograde
- New Moon in Pisces
- Vesta Rx enters Leo
- First Quarter Moon in Gemini
- Mars enters Aries
- Mercury enters Pisces
- Full Moon in Virgo
- Sun enters Aries (Spring Equinox)
- Uranus Rx enters Scorpio
- Venus enters Aries
- Neptune Retrograde
- Last Quarter Moon in Capricorn
April 1981
- New Moon in Aries
- Mercury enters Aries
- Vesta Direct
- First Quarter Moon in Cancer
- Pallas enters Gemini
- Venus enters Taurus
- Full Moon in Libra
- Juno Rx enters Libra
- Sun enters Taurus
- Mercury enters Taurus
- Mars enters Taurus
- Last Quarter Moon in Aquarius
May 1981
- New Moon in Taurus
- Mercury enters Gemini
- First Quarter Moon in Leo
- Venus enters Gemini
- Ceres enters Leo
- Vesta enters Virgo
- Full Moon in Scorpio
- Sun enters Gemini
- Last Quarter Moon in Pisces
- Jupiter Direct
- Mercury enters Cancer
June 1981
- New Moon in Gemini
- Pallas enters Cancer
- Saturn Direct
- Mars enters Gemini
- Venus enters Cancer
- First Quarter Moon in Virgo
- Mercury Retrograde
- Juno Direct
- Full Moon in Sagittarius
- Sun enters Cancer (Summer Solstice)
- Mercury Rx enters Gemini
- Last Quarter Moon in Aries
- Venus enters Leo
July 1981
- Pluto Direct
- New Moon in Cancer
- Mercury Direct
- First Quarter Moon in Libra
- Mercury enters Cancer
- Partial Lunar Eclipse (Full Moon) in Capricorn
- Mars enters Cancer
- Sun enters Leo
- Pallas enters Leo
- Last Quarter Moon in Taurus
- Venus enters Virgo
- Ceres enters Virgo
- Total Solar Eclipse (New Moon) in Leo
August 1981
- Mercury enters Leo
- Vesta enters Libra
- Uranus Direct
- First Quarter Moon in Scorpio
- Juno enters Scorpio
- Full Moon in Aquarius
- Mercury enters Virgo
- Venus enters Libra
- Last Quarter Moon in Taurus
- Sun enters Virgo
- Chiron Retrograde
- New Moon in Virgo
September 1981
- Mars enters Leo
- Mercury enters Libra
- Neptune Direct
- First Quarter Moon in Sagittarius
- Venus enters Scorpio
- Full Moon in Pisces
- Pallas enters Virgo
- Last Quarter Moon in Gemini
- Sun enters Libra (Autumn Equinox)
- True Node Rx enters Cancer
- Mercury enters Scorpio
- New Moon in Libra
October 1981
- Ceres enters Libra
- Vesta enters Scorpio
- First Quarter Moon in Capricorn
- Mercury Retrograde
- Venus enters Sagittarius
- Full Moon in Aries
- Mercury Rx enters Libra
- Last Quarter Moon in Cancer
- Mars enters Virgo
- Sun enters Scorpio
- Mercury Direct
- New Moon in Scorpio
November 1981
- First Quarter Moon in Aquarius
- Venus enters Capricorn
- Mercury enters Scorpio
- Full Moon in Taurus
- Uranus enters Sagittarius
- Pallas enters Libra
- Last Quarter Moon in Leo
- Juno enters Sagittarius
- Sun enters Sagittarius
- New Moon in Sagittarius
- Jupiter enters Scorpio
- Vesta enters Sagittarius
- Mercury enters Sagittarius
December 1981
- First Quarter Moon in Pisces
- Venus enters Aquarius
- Ceres enters Scorpio
- Full Moon in Gemini
- Mars enters Libra
- Mercury enters Capricorn
- Last Quarter Moon in Virgo
- Sun enters Capricorn (Winter Solstice)
- New Moon in Capricorn
- Venus Retrograde