Astronomy calendar 2026
In 2026, the sky holds 4 eclipses, 13 full moons, 2 of them supermoons, 11 meteor showers, 4 planets at opposition and 7 close pairings of planets.
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Highlights of 2026
- Annular solar eclipse — Annularity up to 2 mins, 16 secs, path of annularity: Antarctica; from London: not visible; from New York: not visible
- Total lunar eclipse — Totality: 59 mins, 25 secs; from London: not visible; from New York: partly visible, the Moon low
- Venus and Saturn side by side — 0.9° apart, in the evening
- Mercury and Saturn side by side — 0.5° apart, in the morning
- Total solar eclipse — Totality up to 2 mins, 21 secs, path of totality: Greenland and Spain; from London: partial, 91% of the Sun covered around 19:13; from New York: partial, 9% of the Sun covered around 13:53
- Geminids — meteor shower peak on the night of 14–15 December, up to 150 an hour under a perfect sky; faint Moon (25% lit): good conditions · details
Month by month
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec
Times in UTC. Sky events can be seen wherever it is dark and clear; eclipses only from some regions.
January 2026
| Date | Time | Event |
|---|---|---|
| Sat 3 | 10:03 | Full Moon · details |
| Sat 3 | 16:42 | Perihelion — Earth at its closest to the Sun, 147.1 million km |
| Sat 3 | — | Quadrantids — meteor shower peak on the night of 3–4 January, up to 80 an hour under a perfect sky; Moon 100% lit: it gets in the way · details |
| Sat 10 | — | Jupiter at opposition — closest to Earth (633 million km) and up all night; magnitude −2.7; constellation: Gemini |
| Sun 18 | 19:52 | New Moon — moonless nights, the best for the Milky Way and deep-sky objects · details |
February 2026
| Date | Time | Event |
|---|---|---|
| Sun 1 | 22:09 | Full Moon · details |
| Tue 17 | 12:01 | New Moon — moonless nights, the best for the Milky Way and deep-sky objects · details |
| Tue 17 | 12:11 | Annular solar eclipse — Annularity up to 2 mins, 16 secs, path of annularity: Antarctica; from London: not visible; from New York: not visible |
| Wed 18 | — | The Moon near Mercury — 0.1°, in the evening |
| Thu 19 | — | Mercury at greatest elongation — 18° from the Sun, in the evening, low in the west after sunset |
March 2026
| Date | Time | Event |
|---|---|---|
| Tue 3 | 11:33 | Total lunar eclipse — Totality: 59 mins, 25 secs; from London: not visible; from New York: partly visible, the Moon low |
| Tue 3 | 11:38 | Full Moon · details |
| Sun 8 | 02:00 | Clocks go forward (United States) — at 02:00 the clocks go forward one hour: sunrise and sunset an hour later |
| Sun 8 | — | Venus and Saturn side by side — 0.9° apart, in the evening |
| Tue 17 | — | The Moon near Mercury — 1.8°, in the morning |
| Tue 17 | — | The Moon near Mars — 1.4°, in the morning |
| Thu 19 | 01:24 | New Moon — moonless nights, the best for the Milky Way and deep-sky objects · details |
| Fri 20 | 14:45 | March equinox — spring begins in the Northern Hemisphere, autumn in the Southern; day and night are nearly equal |
| Sun 29 | 01:00 | Clocks go forward (United Kingdom) — at 01:00 the clocks go forward one hour: sunrise and sunset an hour later |
April 2026
| Date | Time | Event |
|---|---|---|
| Thu 2 | 02:12 | Full Moon · details |
| Fri 3 | — | Mercury at greatest elongation — 28° from the Sun, in the morning, low in the east before sunrise |
| Fri 17 | 11:52 | New Moon — moonless nights, the best for the Milky Way and deep-sky objects · details |
| Sun 19 | — | Mars and Saturn side by side — 1.2° apart, in the morning |
| Mon 20 | — | Mercury and Saturn side by side — 0.5° apart, in the morning |
| Mon 20 | — | Mercury and Mars side by side — 1.7° apart, in the morning |
| Wed 22 | — | Lyrids — meteor shower peak on the night of 22–23 April, up to 18 an hour under a perfect sky; faint Moon (36% lit): good conditions · details |
May 2026
| Date | Time | Event |
|---|---|---|
| Fri 1 | 17:23 | Full Moon · details |
| Wed 6 | — | Eta Aquariids — meteor shower peak on the night of 5–6 May, up to 50 an hour under a perfect sky; Moon 81% lit: it gets in the way · details |
| Sat 16 | 20:01 | New Moon — moonless nights, the best for the Milky Way and deep-sky objects · details |
| Sun 31 | 08:45 | Full Moon — small full moon, 406,100 km away; blue moon, the second full moon of the month · details |
June 2026
| Date | Time | Event |
|---|---|---|
| Tue 9 | — | Venus and Jupiter side by side — 1.6° apart, in the evening |
| Mon 15 | 02:54 | New Moon — moonless nights, the best for the Milky Way and deep-sky objects · details |
| Mon 15 | — | Mercury at greatest elongation — 25° from the Sun, in the evening, low in the west after sunset |
| Wed 17 | — | The Moon near Venus — 0.3°, in the evening |
| Sun 21 | 08:25 | June solstice — the longest day in the Northern Hemisphere, the shortest in the Southern |
| Mon 29 | 23:57 | Full Moon — small full moon, 405,200 km away · details |
July 2026
| Date | Time | Event |
|---|---|---|
| Mon 6 | 18:00 | Aphelion — Earth at its farthest from the Sun, 152.1 million km |
| Tue 14 | 09:44 | New Moon — moonless nights, the best for the Milky Way and deep-sky objects · details |
| Fri 17 | — | The Moon near Venus — 1.8°, in the evening |
| Tue 28 | — | Southern Delta Aquariids — meteor shower peak on the night of 27–28 July, up to 25 an hour under a perfect sky; Moon 99% lit: it gets in the way · details |
| Wed 29 | 14:36 | Full Moon · details |
August 2026
| Date | Time | Event |
|---|---|---|
| Sun 2 | — | Mercury at greatest elongation — 19° from the Sun, in the morning, low in the east before sunrise |
| Tue 11 | — | The Moon near Mercury — 2.0°, in the morning |
| Wed 12 | 17:37 | New Moon — moonless nights, the best for the Milky Way and deep-sky objects · details |
| Wed 12 | 17:45 | Total solar eclipse — Totality up to 2 mins, 21 secs, path of totality: Greenland and Spain; from London: partial, 91% of the Sun covered around 19:13; from New York: partial, 9% of the Sun covered around 13:53 |
| Thu 13 | — | Perseids — meteor shower peak on the night of 12–13 August, up to 100 an hour under a perfect sky; faint Moon (0% lit): good conditions · details |
| Sat 15 | — | Venus at greatest elongation — 46° from the Sun, in the evening, low in the west after sunset |
| Sat 15 | — | Mercury and Jupiter side by side — 0.6° apart, in the morning |
| Sun 16 | — | The Moon near Venus — 1.8°, in the evening |
| Fri 28 | 04:12 | Partial lunar eclipse — from London: partly visible, the Moon low; from New York: visible, the Moon 38° high |
| Fri 28 | 04:19 | Full Moon · details |
September 2026
| Date | Time | Event |
|---|---|---|
| Tue 8 | — | The Moon near Jupiter — 0.8°, in the morning |
| Fri 11 | 03:27 | New Moon — moonless nights, the best for the Milky Way and deep-sky objects · details |
| Mon 14 | — | The Moon near Venus — 0.5°, in the evening |
| Tue 22 | — | Venus at greatest brilliancy — magnitude −4.8, in the evening |
| Wed 23 | 00:05 | September equinox — autumn begins in the Northern Hemisphere, spring in the Southern |
| Sat 26 | — | Neptune at opposition — closest to Earth (4,320 million km) and up all night; magnitude 7.8, with a telescope; constellation: Pisces |
| Sat 26 | 16:49 | Full Moon · details |
October 2026
| Date | Time | Event |
|---|---|---|
| Sun 4 | — | Saturn at opposition — closest to Earth (1,262 million km) and up all night; magnitude 0.2; constellation: Cetus |
| Mon 5 | — | The Moon near Mars — 1.1°, in the morning |
| Tue 6 | — | The Moon near Jupiter — 0.2°, in the morning |
| Fri 9 | — | Draconids — meteor shower peak on the night of 8–9 October, up to 10 an hour under a perfect sky; faint Moon (3% lit): good conditions · details |
| Sat 10 | 15:50 | New Moon — moonless nights, the best for the Milky Way and deep-sky objects · details |
| Mon 12 | — | Mercury at greatest elongation — 25° from the Sun, in the evening, low in the west after sunset |
| Wed 21 | — | Orionids — meteor shower peak on the night of 21–22 October, up to 20 an hour under a perfect sky; Moon 78% lit: it gets in the way · details |
| Sun 25 | 02:00 | Clocks go back (United Kingdom) — at 02:00 the clocks go back one hour |
| Mon 26 | 04:12 | Full Moon · details |
November 2026
| Date | Time | Event |
|---|---|---|
| Sun 1 | 02:00 | Clocks go back (United States) — at 02:00 the clocks go back one hour |
| Mon 2 | — | The Moon near Mars — 1.0°, in the morning |
| Mon 2 | — | The Moon near Jupiter — 0.5°, in the morning |
| Sat 7 | — | The Moon near Venus — 1.0°, in the morning |
| Mon 9 | 07:02 | New Moon — moonless nights, the best for the Milky Way and deep-sky objects · details |
| Thu 12 | — | Northern Taurids — meteor shower peak on the night of 12–13 November, up to 5 an hour under a perfect sky; faint Moon (11% lit): good conditions · details |
| Mon 16 | — | Mars and Jupiter side by side — 1.2° apart, in the morning |
| Tue 17 | — | Leonids — meteor shower peak on the night of 17–18 November, up to 15 an hour under a perfect sky; faint Moon (55% lit): good conditions · details |
| Fri 20 | — | Mercury at greatest elongation — 20° from the Sun, in the morning, low in the east before sunrise |
| Tue 24 | 14:54 | Full Moon — supermoon, 360,800 km from Earth · details |
| Wed 25 | — | Uranus at opposition — closest to Earth (2,759 million km) and up all night; magnitude 5.6, with binoculars; constellation: Taurus |
| Fri 27 | — | Venus at greatest brilliancy — magnitude −4.9, in the morning |
| Mon 30 | — | The Moon near Jupiter — 1.1°, in the morning |
December 2026
| Date | Time | Event |
|---|---|---|
| Wed 9 | 00:52 | New Moon — moonless nights, the best for the Milky Way and deep-sky objects · details |
| Mon 14 | — | Geminids — meteor shower peak on the night of 14–15 December, up to 150 an hour under a perfect sky; faint Moon (25% lit): good conditions · details |
| Mon 21 | 20:50 | December solstice — the shortest day in the Northern Hemisphere, the longest in the Southern |
| Tue 22 | — | Ursids — meteor shower peak on the night of 22–23 December, up to 10 an hour under a perfect sky; Moon 98% lit: it gets in the way · details |
| Thu 24 | 01:28 | Full Moon — supermoon, 356,700 km from Earth · details |
| Sun 27 | — | The Moon near Jupiter — 1.4°, all night |
Frequently asked questions
Which eclipses are there in 2026?
Annular solar eclipse (17 February), total lunar eclipse (3 March), total solar eclipse (12 August) and partial lunar eclipse (28 August).
When can I see shooting stars in 2026?
Quadrantids (night of 3–4 January, Moon 100% lit: it gets in the way), Eta Aquariids (night of 5–6 May, Moon 81% lit: it gets in the way), Perseids (night of 12–13 August, faint Moon (0% lit): good conditions) and Geminids (night of 14–15 December, faint Moon (25% lit): good conditions).
How many full moons are there in 2026?
13 full moons, including 2 supermoons (24 November and 24 December); a blue moon on 31 May.
When do the clocks change in 2026?
Clocks go forward (United States, Sunday 8 March, 02:00), clocks go forward (United Kingdom, Sunday 29 March, 01:00), clocks go back (United Kingdom, Sunday 25 October, 02:00) and clocks go back (United States, Sunday 1 November, 02:00).
When are the equinoxes and solstices in 2026?
March equinox (20 March, 14:45), June solstice (21 June, 08:25), September equinox (23 September, 00:05) and December solstice (21 December, 20:50).
Which planets can I see in 2026?
Jupiter at opposition (10 January), Venus and Saturn side by side (8 March), Mars and Saturn side by side (19 April), Mercury and Saturn side by side (20 April), Mercury and Mars side by side (20 April), Venus and Jupiter side by side (9 June), Mercury and Jupiter side by side (15 August), Venus at greatest brilliancy (22 September), Neptune at opposition (26 September), Saturn at opposition (4 October), Mars and Jupiter side by side (16 November), Uranus at opposition (25 November) and Venus at greatest brilliancy (27 November).
Computed with Astronomy Engine (positions of the Moon and planets); meteor showers from the International Meteor Organization (IMO) working list. Separations between objects are measured from the centre of the Earth; for the Moon they vary by about a degree from place to place.