Astronomical events 2026

Every notable sky event of 2026 in date order: 2 solar and 2 lunar eclipses, 9 meteor shower peaks, 26 planet events, 13 full Moons and 4 equinoxes and solstices. We computed each date ourselves, and every row links to the page with the detail.

The top five of 2026

March 3 Total lunar eclipse: East Asia, Australia and the Pacific see all of it.
June 9 Venus and Jupiter conjunction: Venus and Jupiter pass 1.6 degrees apart (about 3 full-Moon widths) in the evening sky in Gemini, about 37 degrees from the Sun.
August 12 Total solar eclipse: Totality crosses Greenland, western Iceland and northern Spain.
November 18 Five-planet parade: Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Uranus share the morning sky, spread over 153 degrees; 4 of them are easy to see without optics.
December 14 Geminids meteor shower peak: Up to about 150 meteors an hour under ideal dark skies, radiating from Gemini, visible from both hemispheres.

All times are UTC; an event near midnight can land on the previous evening in the Americas. Rows already past are grayed. How we picked the five is explained below the list.

January 2026

Date	Event	What you see, and from where	More
Jan 310:04 UTC	Moon Wolf Moon	The full Moon rises near sunset and sets near sunrise. Traditional name: Wolf Moon, for the wolves heard howling through midwinter nights.	Details on Wolf Moon
Jan 321:22 UTC	Meteors Quadrantids meteor shower peak	Up to about 80 meteors an hour under ideal dark skies, radiating from Bootes, best from northern latitudes. The Moon is 100% lit at the peak (badly moonlit). Watch the whole sky after midnight.	Details on Quadrantids meteor shower peak
Jan 1008:30 UTC	Planets Jupiter at opposition	Jupiter lies opposite the Sun in Gemini: it rises at sunset, is up all night, and sits at about magnitude −2.7, near its closest and brightest of the year (4.23 AU).	Details on Jupiter at opposition
Jan 28	Planets Four-planet parade	Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune share the evening sky, spread over 109 degrees; 2 of them are easy to see without optics. Best around this date from mid-northern latitudes, with a usable window from Jan 7 to Mar 2.	Details on Four-planet parade

February 2026

Date	Event	What you see, and from where	More
Feb 122:10 UTC	Moon Snow Moon	The full Moon rises near sunset and sets near sunrise. Traditional name: Snow Moon, for the heaviest snows of the year.	Details on Snow Moon
Feb 1712:12 UTC	Eclipse Annular solar eclipse	The ring of fire runs over Antarctica only. A partial eclipse reaches the far southern oceans, the southern tip of South America and parts of southern Africa. The ring lasts up to 2 min 20 s. Eclipse glasses are needed throughout.	Details on Annular solar eclipse
Feb 1917:42 UTC	Planets Mercury at greatest eastern elongation	Mercury stands 18 degrees east of the Sun, as far from it as this cycle allows. Look low in the west after sunset; it is a difficult naked-eye target and needs a clear horizon.	Details on Mercury at greatest eastern elongation
Feb 2606:47 UTC	Planets Mercury turns retrograde	Mercury appears to reverse direction against the stars until March 20. It is an optical effect of Earth overtaking the faster inner planet; nothing about the planet itself changes.	Details on Mercury turns retrograde

March 2026

Date	Event	What you see, and from where	More
Mar 311:34 UTC	Eclipse Total lunar eclipse	East Asia, Australia and the Pacific see all of it. Western North America sees totality before dawn; for eastern North America the Moon sets while still eclipsed. Totality lasts about 59 minutes.	Details on Total lunar eclipse
Mar 311:39 UTC	Moon Worm Moon	The full Moon rises near sunset and sets near sunrise. Traditional name: Worm Moon, for the earthworms and grubs that surface as the ground thaws. It is also a total lunar eclipse, listed above.	Details on Worm Moon
Mar 2014:46 UTC	Season March equinox	The Sun crosses the celestial equator heading north. Day and night are close to equal everywhere, and the Sun rises almost due east and sets almost due west. Spring begins in the Northern Hemisphere, autumn in the Southern.	Details on March equinox
Mar 2019:34 UTC	Planets Mercury turns direct	Mercury ends its retrograde (begun February 26) and resumes its usual eastward motion against the stars.	Details on Mercury turns direct

April 2026

Date	Event	What you see, and from where	More
Apr 202:13 UTC	Moon Pink Moon	The full Moon rises near sunset and sets near sunrise. Traditional name: Pink Moon, for creeping phlox, an early pink wildflower. The Moon itself does not turn pink.	Details on Pink Moon
Apr 322:35 UTC	Planets Mercury at greatest western elongation	Mercury stands 28 degrees west of the Sun, as far from it as this cycle allows. Look low in the east before sunrise; it is a difficult naked-eye target and needs a clear horizon.	Details on Mercury at greatest western elongation
Apr 1922:00 UTC	Planets Mars and Saturn conjunction	Mars and Saturn pass 1.2 degrees apart (about 2 full-Moon widths) in the morning sky in Cetus, about 22 degrees from the Sun. Both are visible without optics.	Details on Mars and Saturn conjunction
Apr 2011:30 UTC	Planets Mercury and Saturn conjunction	Mercury and Saturn pass 0.5 degrees apart (about one full-Moon width) in the morning sky in Cetus, about 23 degrees from the Sun. Both are visible without optics.	Details on Mercury and Saturn conjunction
Apr 2023:00 UTC	Planets Mercury and Mars conjunction	Mercury and Mars pass 1.7 degrees apart (about 3 full-Moon widths) in the morning sky in Cetus, about 22 degrees from the Sun. Both are visible without optics.	Details on Mercury and Mars conjunction
Apr 2219:37 UTC	Meteors Lyrids meteor shower peak	Up to about 18 meteors an hour under ideal dark skies, radiating from Lyra, best from northern latitudes. The Moon is 36% lit at the peak (some moonlight). Watch the whole sky after midnight.	Details on Lyrids meteor shower peak

May 2026

Date	Event	What you see, and from where	More
May 117:24 UTC	Moon Flower Moon	The full Moon rises near sunset and sets near sunrise. Traditional name: Flower Moon, for the flowers of full spring.	Details on Flower Moon
May 609:13 UTC	Meteors Eta Aquariids meteor shower peak	Up to about 50 meteors an hour under ideal dark skies, radiating from Aquarius, best from southern latitudes. The Moon is 81% lit at the peak (badly moonlit). Watch the whole sky after midnight.	Details on Eta Aquariids meteor shower peak
May 3108:46 UTC	Moon Flower Moon, a Blue Moon	The full Moon rises near sunset and sets near sunrise. Traditional name: Flower Moon, for the flowers of full spring. It is the second full Moon of the month, which is all the name has ever meant: the Moon stays its usual color.	Details on Flower Moon, a Blue Moon

June 2026

Date	Event	What you see, and from where	More
Jun 920:00 UTC	Planets Venus and Jupiter conjunction	Venus and Jupiter pass 1.6 degrees apart (about 3 full-Moon widths) in the evening sky in Gemini, about 37 degrees from the Sun. Both are visible without optics.	Details on Venus and Jupiter conjunction
Jun 1520:03 UTC	Planets Mercury at greatest eastern elongation	Mercury stands 25 degrees east of the Sun, as far from it as this cycle allows. Look low in the west after sunset; it is a difficult naked-eye target and needs a clear horizon.	Details on Mercury at greatest eastern elongation
Jun 2108:25 UTC	Season June solstice	The Sun reaches its farthest point north of the celestial equator: the longest day in the Northern Hemisphere and the shortest in the Southern. Summer begins in the north, winter in the south.	Details on June solstice
Jun 2917:37 UTC	Planets Mercury turns retrograde	Mercury appears to reverse direction against the stars until July 23. It is an optical effect of Earth overtaking the faster inner planet; nothing about the planet itself changes.	Details on Mercury turns retrograde
Jun 2923:57 UTC	Moon Strawberry Moon	The full Moon rises near sunset and sets near sunrise. Traditional name: Strawberry Moon, for the short strawberry-picking season.	Details on Strawberry Moon

July 2026

Date	Event	What you see, and from where	More
Jul 2322:57 UTC	Planets Mercury turns direct	Mercury ends its retrograde (begun June 29) and resumes its usual eastward motion against the stars.	Details on Mercury turns direct
Jul 2914:36 UTC	Moon Buck Moon	The full Moon rises near sunset and sets near sunrise. Traditional name: Buck Moon, for the new antlers pushing from buck deer.	Details on Buck Moon
Jul 3113:19 UTC	Meteors Delta Aquariids meteor shower peak	Up to about 25 meteors an hour under ideal dark skies, radiating from Aquarius, best from southern latitudes. The Moon is 96% lit at the peak (badly moonlit). Watch the whole sky after midnight.	Details on Delta Aquariids meteor shower peak

August 2026

Date	Event	What you see, and from where	More
Aug 208:03 UTC	Planets Mercury at greatest western elongation	Mercury stands 19 degrees west of the Sun, as far from it as this cycle allows. Look low in the east before sunrise; it is a difficult naked-eye target and needs a clear horizon.	Details on Mercury at greatest western elongation
Aug 1217:46 UTC	Eclipse Total solar eclipse	Totality crosses Greenland, western Iceland and northern Spain. A partial eclipse covers most of Europe, northwestern Africa, easternmost North America and the Arctic. Totality lasts up to 2 min 18 s. Eclipse glasses are needed for every phase except totality.	Details on Total solar eclipse
Aug 1301:52 UTC	Meteors Perseids meteor shower peak	Up to about 100 meteors an hour under ideal dark skies, radiating from Perseus, best from northern latitudes. The Moon is new at the peak (dark skies). Watch the whole sky after midnight.	Details on Perseids meteor shower peak
Aug 1506:23 UTC	Planets Venus at greatest eastern elongation	Venus stands 46 degrees east of the Sun, as far from it as this cycle allows. Look low in the west after sunset; it is the evening star at this stage.	Details on Venus at greatest eastern elongation
Aug 2804:13 UTC	Eclipse Partial lunar eclipse	The Americas see it on the evening of August 27 local time; Europe and Africa see it before dawn on August 28. The partial phase lasts about 3 hours 19 minutes.	Details on Partial lunar eclipse
Aug 2804:19 UTC	Moon Sturgeon Moon	The full Moon rises near sunset and sets near sunrise. Traditional name: Sturgeon Moon, for the giant fish once readily caught in the Great Lakes. It is also a partial lunar eclipse, listed above.	Details on Sturgeon Moon

September 2026

Date	Event	What you see, and from where	More
Sep 10	Planets Five-planet parade	Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune share the morning sky, spread over 132 degrees; 3 of them are easy to see without optics. Best around this date from mid-northern latitudes, with a usable window from Jun 22 to Oct 6.	Details on Five-planet parade
Sep 2213:34 UTC	Planets Venus at peak brightness	Venus reaches its brightest of this cycle, about magnitude −4.8, bright enough to cast a faint shadow from a dark site and to be seen in daylight if you know where to look.	Details on Venus at peak brightness
Sep 2300:06 UTC	Season September equinox	The Sun crosses the celestial equator heading south. Day and night are close to equal everywhere, and the Sun rises almost due east. Autumn begins in the Northern Hemisphere, spring in the Southern.	Details on September equinox
Sep 2616:50 UTC	Moon Harvest Moon	The full Moon rises near sunset and sets near sunrise. Traditional name: Harvest Moon, for the moonlit evenings that let the harvest run late; properly, the full moon nearest the September equinox.	Details on Harvest Moon

October 2026

Date	Event	What you see, and from where	More
Oct 412:13 UTC	Planets Saturn at opposition	Saturn lies opposite the Sun in Cetus: it rises at sunset, is up all night, and sits at about magnitude 0.2, near its closest and brightest of the year (8.43 AU).	Details on Saturn at opposition
Oct 1210:06 UTC	Planets Mercury at greatest eastern elongation	Mercury stands 25 degrees east of the Sun, as far from it as this cycle allows. Look low in the west after sunset; it is a difficult naked-eye target and needs a clear horizon.	Details on Mercury at greatest eastern elongation
Oct 2118:09 UTC	Meteors Orionids meteor shower peak	Up to about 20 meteors an hour under ideal dark skies, radiating from Orion, visible from both hemispheres. The Moon is 78% lit at the peak (badly moonlit). Watch the whole sky after midnight.	Details on Orionids meteor shower peak
Oct 2403:33 UTC	Planets Venus passes between Earth and Sun	Venus leaves the evening sky and moves into the morning sky, passing between us and the Sun at inferior conjunction. It is lost in the glare for a few days and returns as the morning star.	Details on Venus passes between Earth and Sun
Oct 2407:15 UTC	Planets Mercury turns retrograde	Mercury appears to reverse direction against the stars until November 13. It is an optical effect of Earth overtaking the faster inner planet; nothing about the planet itself changes.	Details on Mercury turns retrograde
Oct 2604:12 UTC	Moon Hunter's Moon	The full Moon rises near sunset and sets near sunrise. Traditional name: Hunter's Moon, for the hunting season that follows the harvest.	Details on Hunter's Moon

November 2026

Date	Event	What you see, and from where	More
Nov 1315:52 UTC	Planets Mercury turns direct	Mercury ends its retrograde (begun October 24) and resumes its usual eastward motion against the stars.	Details on Mercury turns direct
Nov 1602:00 UTC	Planets Mars and Jupiter conjunction	Mars and Jupiter pass 1.2 degrees apart (about 2 full-Moon widths) in the morning sky in Leo, about 88 degrees from the Sun. Both are visible without optics.	Details on Mars and Jupiter conjunction
Nov 1723:31 UTC	Meteors Leonids meteor shower peak	Up to about 15 meteors an hour under ideal dark skies, radiating from Leo, visible from both hemispheres. The Moon is 55% lit at the peak (some moonlight). Watch the whole sky after midnight.	Details on Leonids meteor shower peak
Nov 18	Planets Five-planet parade	Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Uranus share the morning sky, spread over 153 degrees; 4 of them are easy to see without optics. Best around this date from mid-northern latitudes, with a usable window from Nov 6 to Nov 29.	Details on Five-planet parade
Nov 2023:36 UTC	Planets Mercury at greatest western elongation	Mercury stands 20 degrees west of the Sun, as far from it as this cycle allows. Look low in the east before sunrise; it is a difficult naked-eye target and needs a clear horizon.	Details on Mercury at greatest western elongation
Nov 2414:54 UTC	Moon Beaver Moon	The full Moon rises near sunset and sets near sunrise. Traditional name: Beaver Moon, for the beavers finishing their winter lodges.	Details on Beaver Moon
Nov 2701:48 UTC	Planets Venus at peak brightness	Venus reaches its brightest of this cycle, about magnitude −4.9, bright enough to cast a faint shadow from a dark site and to be seen in daylight if you know where to look.	Details on Venus at peak brightness

December 2026

Date	Event	What you see, and from where	More
Dec 1413:27 UTC	Meteors Geminids meteor shower peak	Up to about 150 meteors an hour under ideal dark skies, radiating from Gemini, visible from both hemispheres. The Moon is 25% lit at the peak (dark skies). Watch the whole sky after midnight.	Details on Geminids meteor shower peak
Dec 2120:50 UTC	Season December solstice	The Sun reaches its farthest point south of the celestial equator: the shortest day in the Northern Hemisphere and the longest in the Southern. Winter begins in the north, summer in the south.	Details on December solstice
Dec 2221:54 UTC	Meteors Ursids meteor shower peak	Up to about 10 meteors an hour under ideal dark skies, radiating from Ursa Minor, best from northern latitudes. The Moon is 98% lit at the peak (badly moonlit). Watch the whole sky after midnight.	Details on Ursids meteor shower peak
Dec 2401:29 UTC	Moon Cold Moon, a supermoon	The full Moon rises near sunset and sets near sunrise. Traditional name: Cold Moon, for the long nights of early winter. At 356,729 km it is inside the 360,000 km supermoon line, a few percent wider than average, which is hard to see without a comparison.	Details on Cold Moon, a supermoon

How we built the list

Every instant comes from the same astronomy engine that drives the rest of CycleCalcs, and the dates match the individual pages they link to. Eclipse types and durations come from our eclipse catalog. Meteor shower peaks are the moment the Sun reaches each shower's solar longitude, with the Moon's illumination computed at that instant; we list the nine showers that reach a rate of 10 an hour or more, and the rest are on the meteor shower calendar. A supermoon is a full Moon closer than 360,000 km, the same line as our supermoon page. A conjunction row is the moment of closest approach between two naked-eye planets that come within 3 degrees of each other and stand at least 15 degrees from the Sun. Mars, Jupiter and Saturn are listed at opposition, and Mercury's retrograde stations come from the same catalog as the Mercury retrograde page.

The top five is ranked by a simple score: eclipse type first (total solar, then total lunar), then planet parades by how many planets and how many are easy to see, meteor showers by rate with a penalty for moonlight, and conjunctions by how close and how bright the pair is. We show it so you can disagree with it.

Frequently asked questions

What are the main astronomical events of 2026?

Our top five for 2026, in date order: Total lunar eclipse (March 3); Venus and Jupiter conjunction (June 9); Total solar eclipse (August 12); Five-planet parade (November 18); Geminids meteor shower peak (December 14). The full list below has 56 dated events, each with what you see and from where.

Are there eclipses in 2026?

Yes: 2 solar and 2 lunar. February 17, annular solar eclipse; March 3, total lunar eclipse; August 12, total solar eclipse; August 28, partial lunar eclipse. Which ones you can see depends on where you are, so each row says who gets the view.

When are the meteor showers in 2026?

The principal peaks, in UTC: Quadrantids Jan 3, Lyrids Apr 22, Eta Aquariids May 6, Delta Aquariids Jul 31, Perseids Aug 13, Orionids Oct 21, Leonids Nov 17, Geminids Dec 14, Ursids Dec 22. The Moon stays out of the way for the Perseids and Geminids.

Is there a supermoon or Blue Moon in 2026?

Supermoon: December 24 (full Moon inside 360,000 km). Blue Moon, meaning the second full Moon of a calendar month: May 31.

What time zone are the dates on this page?

Dates and times are Universal Time (UTC). An event late in the UTC day can fall on the previous evening in the Americas, so check the time on the detail page when the date is close.

Go deeper on any event

Every row above links to its own page. These are the calendars behind them.